The Champion And The Singer
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: A refined, wealthy, young singer, Weiss has always admired Pyrrha from afar. With the help of her sister Winter, Weiss is able to meet the charismatic champion for the first time. Can a friendship, or even something more, blossom between them? Or will the hardships of their society prove too great an obstacle to overcome?
1. On The Stage

**Finally! Time for my North Pole AU that's been a long time coming!** **This was my only fic ever (not just RWBY) that gave me enough trouble where I had to scrap the entire first 2 chapters and start over. I wrote and finished it back in February this year, and now it's finally its turn to be posted!**

 **A/N: Set in an AU where Weiss doesn't go to Beacon (or any school) to become a huntress. She stays at home and works to be a singer, and though she does do some combat training on the side, it isn't her main priority. Pyrrha isn't a huntress either - she does combat performances for a living.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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The Champion And The Singer

Chapter 1. On The Stage

All her life, Weiss had been made to practice her singing rather than her fighting.

She'd always been rather skilled at both, but the way her father saw it, Winter was to be the fighter of the family's next generation. She'd been training herself from a young age to be competent and able-bodied in battle, and in recent years had joined the military to extend her training.

And though Weiss had always wondered what it would be like to fight and hone her own skills, her father deemed that she not waste her time worrying about things she could never hope to accomplish. She'd never be able to summon or fight as well as Winter could, anyway.

Therefore, Weiss had focused not on her rapier, but on her voice.

She may not have been anyone's first choice to listen to when she was speaking, what with her curt tone and proud manner of speech.

But when she was singing, even her enemies would put down their swords for a moment to listen.

She truly did have the voice of an angel when she sang, one most people wouldn't expect from the Schnee heiress, who was reputed to be a spoiled brat. Her voice could be light, airy, and flowing in pitch one moment, then louder, supported, and enunciated the next.

The bit of training and use of her rapier that she did demonstrate to the public was typically a part of her act. Sometimes she would cast ice crystals into the air and cause flurries of snow to flutter down around the audience. Or sometimes she would create flames on glyphs and then rotate them to give the fire motion.

The combination of visual and auditory effects she practiced were incomparable to any other performer. Hers was truly a talent to behold.

And everyone tried to behold it in person, at least once.

Tickets to her concerts always sold out within hours, which never hurt her reputation or the income she was bringing in for the family business.

Sometimes her father would even arrange for her to be flown to different parts of Remnant to sing in different kingdoms. Her events would often raise funds for different causes, and in turn the Schnees would gain a plethora of business partners in terms of finances and promotion.

Weiss loved singing, and she knew that what she did not only benefitted her father's company and reputation, but more importantly, it would benefit other people at times.

Aside from raising money for certain organizations, her concerts were a place for audience members to let go of their troubles for a few hours and simply enjoy themselves.

And though her father didn't particularly like it, Faunus were allowed into her concerts as well.

Though the Faunus attendees were few and far between, whenever Weiss caught a glimpse of ears or a tail in the crowds, it always made her heart soar to think that perhaps the soiled name her father's company had earned itself in the treatment of Faunus might someday be able to mend itself.

On top of the benefits her concerts provided for others, she got a lot of joy from them as well.

Weiss loved to sing. She absolutely loved it.

Her songs would often take her to other worlds, even when she knew she was only standing on the same stage she'd started on. They were an expression of her emotions and of herself, expressions she rarely – if ever – got the privilege to experience in any other form, given her strict upbringing.

Writing her own songs typically happened in the evenings, or late at night when she couldn't find the refuge of sleep. Being able to perform them and share them with the world always made her feel as though she wasn't truly alone.

Her singing had only ever brought good things to herself and to others, and she longed for it to stay that way.

When she wasn't writing songs or preparing for a concert, Weiss had many other chores and responsibilities to attend to. She had many lessons on a daily basis, home-schooling and the like. Sometimes, she was given lessons about how to use her Dust, mainly to create alluring visual effects while onstage to captivate her audience.

But every once in a while, her father would arrange a combat lesson for her. He believed it was essential she know how to fight and defend herself, should she ever be in a situation that might call for such things.

Due to her being next in line to his throne as heiress, she was a sheltered girl, who rarely saw the dangers of the world. He made sure of it.

But being she harbored the same skills and abilities of any Schnee, he thought it best to train her in at least the very basics of fighting.

Typically, Winter would be the one to mentor Weiss in the ways of battle.

Those were always Weiss' favorite lessons. Winter could be harsh on her at times, even to the point of ridicule, but Weiss knew her sister only ever went that far to motivate her to achieve her full potential. Their sessions always ended with soft words and gentle embraces.

Winter was very proud of her sister, though she always felt bad that Weiss needed to be confined to the mansion when she didn't have a concert. Winter's profession allowed her to travel the world, sometimes at her leisure. But Weiss was only permitted to travel for one day at a time so she could sing and then be shipped right back home to their father.

She knew Weiss loved the art of combat more than she was willing to let on. Whenever she trained with her, there was always a sparkle that would come into Weiss' eyes, and it was different from the one she'd get when she sang.

Not to mention how she'd often witness Weiss watching broadcast tournaments and matches whenever she got the chance.

She was particularly infatuated by a young warrior name Pyrrha Nikos.

Even Winter had to admit how admirable and talented the girl from Mistral was. She had excellent form, precise aim, impenetrable defenses, and attacks that never failed. If Weiss was considered a singing prodigy, Pyrrha Nikos was undoubtedly a fighting prodigy.

Weiss admired her most of all, and Winter knew as much.

She also knew that quite a few of Weiss' songs had been written with Pyrrha in mind.

While Winter was glad to see that Weiss would always politely refuse the dances boys offered her at the monthly banquets, she believed that Pyrrha Nikos would be a good match for her sister, if not romantically, then just as a companion.

Weiss didn't have friends her own age. They were all admirers and fans at best, but she had no one she could communicate with on a personal level.

And it wasn't often she confided in Winter herself. Weiss tended to be more introverted and kept her troubles to herself. Winter believed that forming a relationship would only prove well for Weiss if the other party was of the same age and status as she was.

And what better match was there than Pyrrha Nikos?

Therefore, Winter began to make a few calls during her free time, and she'd try to catch her father in one of his good moods to speak to him about making arrangements for Weiss' next Mistral concert.

* * *

The look on Weiss' face when Winter had presented her with the ticket to one of Pyrrha Nikos' tournaments had been absolutely priceless.

Winter had seen her sister smile before, though the genuine ones were rarer to see than even their father's grins.

But before the smiling, Weiss had swayed and very nearly lost her balance.

"W-Winter-!" she'd gasped. "You... you really...? For _me_...?"

And Winter had placed one hand on Weiss' waist to keep her from falling, using the other to lightly swat her on the head.

"Of course it's for you," she'd replied. "Who else would ever deserve one of those tickets? You've been working so hard, especially over these last few months, and even Father agreed you deserve a reward."

And _then_ she'd seen the smile. The sheer, pure, absolutely joyous smile, where the tears had risen up into Weiss' eyes and one had even slipped down her cheek. She'd thrown herself into Winter's arms, whimpering her gratitude, heart soaring.

And now...

Now she was _here_.

Sitting on one of the stadium's balcony levels in the front row, one of the very best seats in the arena.

At Pyrrha Nikos' tournament.

Weiss could still scarcely believe it.

Just yesterday, she'd been preparing for her concert that would take place here in Mistral tomorrow evening. She'd been sighing all afternoon, for she knew her own stage wouldn't be very far away from that of one of the people she admired most.

But she hadn't been expecting to be given a ticket for Pyrrha's fight, nor had she expected to arrive in Mistral early enough so that she may actually witness it with her own two eyes, without a television screen and hundreds of miles of distance between them.

She wasn't even feeling anxious about the fact that her own concert would be taking place tomorrow and would need to follow up a performance like Pyrrha Nikos'. She was just too immersed in the atmosphere here, the cheering crowds and air of excitement.

It was Weiss' first time being part of an audience rather than standing in front of one, so things were a bit hectic for a while.

She was glad to know that Winter had specifically gotten a job for herself as security here today and wasn't far away.

Naturally, when the people in charge of Pyrrha's tournaments had caught wind that Schnee's daughters would be attending today, they'd made arrangements for their convenience right away. After all, Schnee was known to give rare, but generous donations to events that proved to please his daughters.

The performance had yet to be underway, and Weiss remained in her seat for a while, simply trying to absorb the scenery, the vastness of the stadium itself and the arena below. She was beginning to grow accustomed to the din of the crowds around her, though it was still unusual for her to be within the sound rather than standing opposite it.

At the very least, she managed to catch Winter's eye from across the aisle. Her sister had been standing guard, watching the doorway and checking to ensure people had their tickets on-hand. But as soon as she met Weiss' gaze, the older girl left her post and made her way over to Weiss.

Weiss stood up to meet her, so they may converse a bit more privately without the people around her being able to hear.

"Winter."

Weiss reached out for a hug, but immediately thought better of it. They were in public. They needed to be more professional than that.

But Winter could care less for such things. She could tell Weiss was more than a little pale, which was understandable, considering the raucous noise erupting here. She pulled Weiss in to her and held her firmly.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked. "I know it's your first time being part of an audience. They're a rowdy bunch here today."

Weiss sighed in relief and quickly returned the embrace, letting Winter's familiar presence calm her heart a little.

"I'm fine. Just... excited, I think. A little nervous."

"That's natural," Winter reassured her. "Just try to enjoy yourself, alright? I'll be close by should you need me."

Winter pressed a quick kiss to her sister's temple before letting her go.

Feeling immensely better now, Weiss took her seat once again as Winter returned to her post. Her sister was right. This was all for Weiss. She should try to make the most of it.

Before very much longer, an announcement was made that the performance would soon begin. Weiss instantly straightened up, her eyes growing wide as she directed her gaze to the arena's doors.

And just as the announcer proclaimed her name and the crowds exploded in cheers, she entered.

Adorned in all her golden-brown armor, with her famous javelin and shield at her side and her crimson ponytail snapping in the wind behind her like a stream of the lifeblood of her felled enemies, Pyrrha Nikos took her stage.

Despite the fact that she was a renown young warrior with cunning battle skills, she also had a dazzling smile to match. The large screens projected the image of her beaming face, her emerald eyes alight with joy as she greeted her audience with the help of a small microphone.

"Greetings, everyone! Thank you all so much for coming today!"

And as if the crowd hadn't been loud enough already, it only got louder.

Weiss' heart was all aflutter, from the combination of her excitement of getting to attend this match, and for other reasons as well.

She truly did admire Pyrrha, and she had for many years now. She'd written so many songs for and about her, songs she'd never reveal to the world, declarations she'd never speak aloud. Her chest felt tight, and her eyes were starting to water.

She... _really_ liked Pyrrha.

And only now that she was drowned out amidst a sea of people could Weiss truly show it.

After years and years of admiring her from afar, watching her compete in the Mistral regional tournament and _win_ four years in a row, Weiss could finally breathe the same air as Pyrrha.

It was so surreal.

The crimson-haired warrior spent a few moments waving to her audience, greeting them some more, and occasionally laughing merrily at their enthusiasm.

Whenever she laughed, Weiss felt her heart skip a beat.

She didn't dare steal a direct glance at Winter for fear her older sister might see her blushing. But from her peripheral vision, Weiss could see that her sister was giving her full attention to Pyrrha as well, clearly impressed by the young warrior's poise and charisma.

Weiss wished she could learn a bit of confidence from the champion.

While Weiss carried herself in an important manner and made sure to use a sophisticated speech pattern, it was more so that she had pride in her family name rather than in herself.

But Pyrrha Nikos simply emulated confidence and charm. She was simply stunning.

Weiss couldn't take her eyes away from her as she strode around the arena, facing the audience on all sides as the people finally started to quiet down a bit.

Pyrrha removed the microphone she'd been wearing and handed it to an assistant on the field with her. She then put on a very different countenance, one of serious concentration. As the audience took the hint that the battle was about to begin, a man's voice came over the intercom to explain today's matches:

"Now as you all know, Miss Pyrrha Nikos is a world-renown young fighter. But in today's matches, she will not be versing other warriors. Today, Miss Nikos will be performing a rather special bout of matches for her audience, so you're all in for a real treat! Rather than fighting against human opponents, this shall be Miss Nikos' first time battling against creatures of Grimm!"

Sounds of shock and disbelief rose up from the crowd, and even Weiss felt herself gasp out loud.

"Against Grimm?"

She'd heard news about Pyrrha practicing fighting the beasts before, and that she had plans to one day incorporate them into her official matches. But Weiss never expected to be attending the first ever performance involving the monsters.

Though the crowd was clearly anxious and shocked, Pyrrha seemed unfazed. She maintained her smile as if to reassure them all, though her stance was now set.

She faced a pair of doors on the opposite side of the arena, raising her shield with one arm and her spear with the other, waiting.

The announcer went on for a minute longer to explain things:

"As you all may know, Miss Nikos has been training in her fights against Grimm for the past several months. And now finally, today you shall all be able to see her verse them in one of her matches for the first time ever! First up, she shall show you all how to expertly battle one of the most brutal Grimm alive!"

At his words, the doors lifted, and out rushed a raging Boarbatusk. Its bulky size didn't hinder its speed as it charged forward immediately.

With the people on-staff now safely behind powerful railings, Pyrrha was the only person left in the arena. The beast thundered towards her instantly, screeching and swinging its head wildly, its oversized tusks ready to maul.

And Pyrrha didn't even flinch.

In fact, she smirked.

As it approached her, she dropped into a defensive crouch with her shield at the ready, bracing herself for the impact. Then, with only a few yards between herself and the Grimm, she shot forward.

Weiss' hands flew to her mouth as she watched Pyrrha's shield collide with the rampaging tusks. But despite the difference in their weight, it was Pyrrha who stood her ground and the boar who stumbled backward, hooves-over-head.

Pyrrha didn't waste a second. With a graceful leap, she tossed her javelin at the beast's exposed, unarmored underside, piercing it through in an instant as the squealing abruptly cut off.

She sauntered coolly over the corpse and removed her weapon. Then, with an impossibly charming smile, she lifted her spear high above her head.

And the audience erupted into baffled cries of triumph and excitement.

Even Weiss hopped out of her seat to clap. Never before had she seen a person single-handedly take out a Grimm of any kind in less than one minute. It just went to show how skilled the girl was, how precise she was with her hits, and how she could utilize her strength and her opponent's weight in _just_ the perfect way to tilt the odds in her favor.

It was beyond incredible. But then again, this _was_ Pyrrha Nikos.

Weiss had barely managed to catch her breath and share an astounded glance with Winter when the announcer revealed the next match.

Pyrrha hadn't so much as broken a sweat with the easy first win.

But next, three Boarbatusk were set free into the arena with her.

Weiss had the utmost faith in Pyrrha, but that didn't stop her heart from starting to pound uneasily all over again.

But of course, Pyrrha never disappointed.

Even without the use of Dust or the assistance of a partner, Pyrrha managed to take the beasts out without ever getting so much as a scratch on herself. She'd leap high into the air over them as they charged her, causing two to ram against each other, consequently getting their tusks tangled.

From there, it was a few elegant twirls of her body, a few powerful blocks from her shield, and a few seemingly-effortless slashes of her blade. She made it look more like a dance rather than a fight.

Within only a few minutes, Pyrrha had defeated the other boars, and was waving innocently at her fans again.

Weiss still had trouble believing it, that a single girl her own age could take down four notoriously vicious creatures of Grimm in fewer than ten minutes. If this was what Pyrrha was capable of at the age of seventeen, Weiss could only image her power and potential in a few years' time.

Pyrrha's performance continued from there. She fought a juvenile King Taijitu next, with both heads equally ferocious. That match called for more of Pyrrha's impressive speed and many more leaps into the air to avoid the striking fangs.

But through a series of small, quick jabs, she managed to weaken it gradually, having it wear itself out as it chased her and missed, expending precious energy. Before long, one of the heads had its fangs broken by Pyrrha's shield, and the other had lost an eye to her javelin.

After that, it was very simple for Pyrrha to finish it off, until the disintegrating corpse was all that remained.

By then, Weiss had tossed away her attempts to appear poised and reserved and was clapping as excitedly as the people around her. Even Winter had lifted her hands to tap them together.

At that time, there was a ten-minute break announced, and Pyrrha exited the arena for a quick rest and a bottle of water.

That was when Winter made her way back over to Weiss, wearing a smile that displayed her amusement.

"I take it you're enjoying yourself?"

"Yes!" Weiss exclaimed. "I didn't know she'd be fighting Grimm! She's incredible, isn't she?"

"Very impressive," her sister agreed. "I've got to admit I'm eager to see what happens next."

It certainly didn't disappoint.

Pyrrha was soon up against a Beowolf, something much larger than the boars and much more agile than the snake. With knife-sized claws on the end of every large paw and snapping jaws full of blade-like teeth, it gave the champion a run for her money.

But Pyrrha never faltered or retreated.

Once again, she engaged in her deadly dance with the beast, never taking her eyes off her opponent, never missing a step.

The audience was captivated, following her every move, the flow of her hair and the sash on her skirt snapping out behind her, the point of her blade and the curve of her shield fending off the malicious black jaws.

And almost too soon, it was over.

Pyrrha stood over the body of the Beowolf, barely even fazed. Straightening her back, she lifted her javelin high above her head and gave her fans another beaming smile.

Everyone jumped out of their seats to applaud, Weiss included. She was so caught up in the excitement of the moment, she didn't care for her reputation any longer. She clapped with a dainty fervor, still astounded by what she'd just witnessed.

Pyrrha cast her gaze around every section of the audience, slowly turning herself around as people showered down small flowers and coins.

But the second Pyrrha's eyes lifted to the balcony section, she paused, just slightly.

Weiss gasped out loud as their eyes met.

It was clearly just a fluke, just a coincidence, and the great distance between the two of them ensured it was nearly impossible to tell whether or not they'd truly made eye contact.

But Weiss knew it was close enough, and her mind told her it was legitimate. Her heart seemed to flip in her chest as Pyrrha Nikos looked at her for the first time.

And then, the young champion gave another smile, one that seemed to be just for Weiss.

The exchange seemed to last for only a few seconds before Pyrrha turned away, almost reluctantly, to smile at the rest of the crowd.

Weiss might've liked to linger there a moment longer, relishing the thought that perhaps Pyrrha Nikos had actually seen _her_ above the other thousands of people present here. Even if it was just a delusion, it was one Weiss was willing to accept.

As the announcer's voice came back over the intercom to thank the audience for their attendance today, Pyrrha began to make her way off the arena.

At that time, Winter made her way over, until she could place a hand on Weiss' shoulder.

"Did you enjoy the matches?" she wondered.

Weiss half-twirled around to meet her gaze.

"Yes! She's really incredible! I've never seen someone as young as her fight Grimm like that before."

"She was indeed very skilled," Winter agreed. "I couldn't count so much as a single instance where she'd missed a strike opportunity. Her execution was quite excellent. I hope you enjoyed seeing her in person for the first time."

"Absolutely," Weiss nodded. "I'll never forget this day. Thank you for bringing me here, Winter."

Weiss was so overjoyed, she failed to think about public appearances yet again. She wrapped her arms around her sister in a soft embrace and sighed happily as she felt Winter's hands on her back.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. You deserve it after how hard you're always working." Winter took a step back, keeping her hands on Weiss' shoulders to guide her sister's gaze up to meet her eyes. Winter's tone as she continued contained just a faint dash of eagerness. "Now then, how would you like it if I added a bonus onto all of this?"

Weiss couldn't help but shake her head.

"No, th-that's okay. You've already done so much for me..."

"But what if I were to tell you..." Winter reached into her uniform's pocket and extracted a small piece of paper. "That I was able to get my hands on one of these?" She revealed the front of the paper to Weiss.

The younger girl leaned forward to read it. As soon as she realized what it was, she gasped and nearly stumbled backward.

"Winter! That's not-"

"A VIP pass to meet with Miss Nikos one hour from now? Yes it is."

"But-But I can't-"

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course you can. Father's given you this entire day to yourself, hasn't he? Your concert isn't until tomorrow so you should utilize today to enjoy yourself as much as you possibly can. We don't know when you'll ever be able to catch him in such a good mood again. It could be years."

"I know..." Weiss lowered her voice and her gaze. "I know. And I know _you_ worked even harder in order to arrange all of this for me today, Winter. It's just... I've already gotten to see her in her matches today. Meeting her one-on-one... face to face..."

She fiddled with her hands in front of her dress, feet shuffling nervously. "I've admired her for so long, and seeing her from afar today was a dream come true for me. But I think that... meeting her personally will be a bit-"

"Say no more." Winter nodded, wrapping an arm around Weiss' shoulders to begin leading her back through the crowds. "I understand that today has been rather overwhelming for you. After all, it was probably the most excitement you've ever had all in one day. Being part of an audience definitely took it out of you. You should rest back at our hotel room."

Weiss nodded glumly as she followed alongside her sister.

"I wouldn't want to be like _this_ the first time I meet her," she mumbled. "Besides, I... I wouldn't know what to say to her. I've got nothing of value to tell her. I'd probably just clam up, or _worse_ I'd babble."

"I hardly think Miss Nikos would mind," Winter assured her. "I've heard that she's taken an interest in meeting you, too."

Weiss almost tripped.

"She... she has?"

"Of course. Most people on Remnant would love to meet you, but I've heard a lot about how Miss Nikos particularly loves your music. But I'm not trying to pressure you into seeing her. It's been a hectic day for you, and you should rest. Get something to eat. In fact, I'll tag along with you."

"No, you should go meet Pyrrha instead," Weiss insisted. "You went through all that trouble to get that ticket. Plus, you'd have _immensely_ more things of value to say to her than I or anyone else ever would. You can praise her techniques and tell her how exceptional she is."

Winter patted her sister's shoulder as they continued making their way out of the stadium.

"Weiss. Don't you think she hears enough of that already? Her agents and her co-workers tell her those sorts of things every day. And while I imagine she appreciates the praise... don't you think she'd like to get away from all of that? Just for an hour or two?"

Weiss was silent as they finally exited the stadium, pondering Winter's statement.

"I suppose you're right..."

"You know I'm right," Winter corrected. "Which is why I won't be using this ticket."

Weiss was about to state her understanding, until a new thought struck her.

"Wait! Maybe you _can_ use it..."

She quickly dug into the pouch at her hip. Her father always made it a point that she carry around a few extra tickets for the upcoming concert in case Weiss were ever to stumble upon some important figure. He wanted her to invite significant people to her concerts as a courtesy - and more importantly, as a business venture.

But Weiss didn't intend to use her extra concert ticket for such purposes today.

She extracted one and handed it to Winter, curling her sister's fingers around the paper. She gazed up at her with pleading eyes and spoke earnestly.

"Please, Winter. I know it's selfish of me to ask you to do this. But I... I really don't think I can meet her in person yet. But I want to... to _try_ to do that. Some day. And maybe inviting her to one of my concerts can help with that. Of course, she might be too busy to attend tomorrow's concert, but-"

"Say no more." Winter accepted the ticket and carefully slipped it into her own pocket. "I understand, Weiss. I'll gladly do this for you. I'll meet with Miss Nikos to give her this ticket, and nothing more."

"But... you should at least stay for a while," Weiss murmured. "It wouldn't be worth the trouble you went through to get the VIP pass to just hand her the concert ticket and leave."

Winter smiled, reaching out to pat Weiss' head affectionately.

"Weiss, _I'm_ not the one who's been dying to meet her for over a decade. And besides, this will be _our_ only evening together to do as we please. I've got to take you out to dinner at least once."

Weiss, too, managed to smile.

"That sounds really nice."

"Then it's decided." Winter reached into her pocket to retrieve her VIP pass. She paused Weiss and herself before they could get too far away from the stadium. "Just wait here for me. I won't be long. Keep near security."

"I will."

Winter dipped down to kiss her head briefly, then started back towards the stadium's entrance. Weiss heard her sister call out to the guards there.

"Excuse me. I'd almost forgotten that I have this pass..."

Weiss watched as the guards politely led her sister back inside. She could only imagine what it might be like to meet Pyrrha Nikos in person.

But just the thought of being in the same room with her, let alone trying to speak to her, sent Weiss' heart aflutter all over again.

She did as Winter had advised and kept within sight of the security guards, leaning back against the outside wall as she watched the crowds of people exiting. A few here and there noticed her, and she heard surprised whispers of her name amongst the noise, but no one approached her. They were all too infatuated with thoughts of Pyrrha, and Weiss could understand completely.

She waited for no longer than ten minutes until she saw her sister once more. Winter made her way through the crowds calmly, looking rather satisfied. Weiss scurried up to meet her.

"How did it go?"

Winter smiled and ushered her to continue walking.

"It went well. She's a very charming young woman, even after she's just finished such an exhausting performance. But goodness, you should have seen the look on her face when I handed her that concert ticket."

Weiss bit her lip and swallowed.

"Did she... discard it?"

"Of course not!" Winter swatted Weiss' head lightly. "Don't be a fool. She was ecstatic, Weiss. Simply ecstatic. Evidently, she's been a fan of your music for quite some time now. She's always longed to attend one of your concerts, but never got the chance with all her recent work. But now that she's got a ticket in her possession, she asked me to _assure_ you that she'll be there tomorrow."

Weiss' heart gave another leap.

"She... she will?"

"Yes. She informed me that she has no significant plans for that time frame tomorrow. So you can expect her to be present for your concert. Now, I hope this isn't going to impede on your performance, because if Father-"

"No! Not at all!" Weiss assured her. "I'll be giving the best performance of my career, I promise!"

Winter seemed satisfied.

"Good. But in order to do that, I think it'd be best if you were treated to a fine dinner tonight. Care to join me?"

Weiss smiled joyously as she all but skipped along beside her.

"I would love to!"

* * *

 **A/N: It was an eventful first chapter for everyone! Hopefully Weiss will be able to meet her idol and crush before long!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	2. First Meeting

**Glad you're all enjoying so far! Now we'll get to see Pyrrha's perspective!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 2. First Meeting

After a night out with her sister, Weiss was more than thankful to rest up before tomorrow.

And as soon as she woke the next morning, she was all-too eager to get ready for her concert.

The concert that Pyrrha Nikos would be attending.

Weiss knew the routine by now. Whenever she was to hold a concert in another kingdom, she'd often get a hotel room with Winter, who would take the day off from her work in the military to be Weiss' own personal bodyguard of sorts.

Aside from wanting to support her younger sister, Winter had her own reasons for being so adamant about attending every concert.

But Weiss didn't know about that yet. Not if she didn't need to...

The heiress spent the morning prepping herself, first with a shower, then blowdrying her hair to ensure it shone. She sifted through the selection of outfits she'd had sent to the suite ahead of time, and ultimately selected a sky-blue dress for this evening's concert.

She ate small meals that day before Winter called for the private Air Ship to take them to the stage where Weiss would be performing tonight.

There, the make-up artists went to work, brushing and re-brushing her hair and fixing her clothes for her. One man brought Weiss her rapier, as she planned to use it and its Dust tonight to give the audience a dazzling spectacle.

Of course, Weiss intended to stun her audience, and in the process, stave off her father's ire.

But even more so than all of that, tonight Weiss would be singing for one person in particular.

* * *

Despite what she'd thought when she'd agreed to attend the concert yesterday, Pyrrha was actually put through a great deal of trouble in order to get there.

Her agents had tried to insist she do a follow-up performance of her own in the same arena today, as the Grimm fights had been a massive hit.

But Pyrrha had denied the offer, adamantly declaring that she had already made plans for herself. She wasn't one to argue often, but when she was made to, she could be a _very_ convincing and even intimidating person.

So she'd firmly declared she was taking a personal day off, and after dressing herself in comfortable clothing and calling for a cab, she'd arrived at the concert stage.

And it was... truly quite impressive.

The arenas where she typically fought her matches were grand things with audience seats on all sides. Those stadiums could fit thousands of rowdy onlookers and then a few extras, just about anyone who'd managed to get their hands on a ticket.

But this stage was very different from her own.

There were only two sides; one for the performance and one for the audience. Unlike Pyrrha's matches where just about anyone could get in, this stage gave off an entirely different feeling, the feeling that only a select or elite handful of society could manage to get in.

The audience members themselves were very different from the types who attended Pyrrha's matches. Everyone here seemed to be dressed almost formally, and spoke in rather reserved, sophisticated tones. Pyrrha was glad that her selection of skirt and blouse seemed appropriate for mingling amongst such a crowd.

Until now, she'd never considered how big a deal it might be to get into one of Weiss Schnee's famous concerts. Pyrrha would often hear recordings of her songs, and she would hear other people discussing the young singer's success.

But now she was beginning to realize that her invitation to be here had been somewhat of a big deal. After all, she'd only gotten her hands on her ticket because the singer's own sister had handed it to her in-person.

As Pyrrha followed the crowds of people who gradually filed into their seats with her program pamphlet in one hand and her ticket in the other, she recalled her meeting with Winter Schnee yesterday.

The young woman had formally introduced herself, and Pyrrha had recognized the last name right away. Naturally, she'd been as polite as she always tried to be, but she might've put in _just_ a little more effort in speaking to a renown Schnee, and one who was in the military at that.

That was how Pyrrha had found out about Weiss' desire to meet her.

Winter had said how the girl had taken an interest in Pyrrha years ago and had been admiring her ever since, but was too shy to utilize the VIP pass for herself to meet her. Pyrrha had been a little sad that she hadn't gotten to meet the girl yesterday, as Weiss sounded like a very interesting person.

But she was also glad she was given a concert ticket in return. This way, she could experience one of Weiss' concerts firsthand and get another chance to meet with the girl.

Even now, as she shuffled at a respectful pace amongst the crowds of people and glanced down at her ticket, she was amazed by her seat number. She'd been presented with a front-row ticket free of charge, and if it was at all possible, she would've liked to meet the girl responsible in person to thank her.

Pyrrha found her indicated seat number and finally sat down.

There were several yards of space between the front row and the stage, which rose up before her to about the height of her own head. She had heard many stories about these concerts and how Dust was often used for visual effects, and guessed the audience was put at a distance for safety precautions.

As she was observing the scenery, Pyrrha noticed another peculiar tidbit.

The onstage curtain that was presently drawn to either side to reveal the dark, vacant center, was not the usual deep crimson color, but rather it was white. In just looking at it, the slight discomforting heat of being a part of such a large audience began to fade away.

She also took note of the copious amount of security guards. She'd thought enough had checked and rechecked her ticket and identification _outside_ the building, but just as many of them were lining the walls inside. It seemed a bit excessive to her, but she assumed it was due to the Schnee's wealth and importance in the Dust business.

Pyrrha sat with her back very straight and her hands folded in her lap as she observed the place for a few more minutes. But at the sound of an announcer's welcoming voice, her eyes were ultimately drawn back to the center of the stage.

The darkness was suddenly illuminated by a single spotlight, but it wasn't blinding or garish. Rather, it was soft and mellow – inviting.

As the audience's noise died down, a faint clicking of boots could be heard onstage.

Pyrrha watched with excited eyes as the star of tonight's show took her entrance.

She adorned an ice-blue dress with boots and a bolero to match, as well as a slender rapier at her hip. Her long, straight white hair was tied back into a ponytail off to one side of her head, and it swayed all down her back as she walked. Her hands were folded neatly before her stomach, and her piercing blue eyes were focused ahead of herself.

She was certainly a gorgeous girl, even more so in person, Pyrrha realized.

But perhaps most dazzling of all was that every time she took a step, a faint, dusty blue powder rose up behind her. It sparkled in the soft glow of the spotlight, shining like the magical trail of some otherworldly fairy.

The audience was torn between looking at the blue dust and looking at the one who had created it.

Pyrrha did her best to keep her eyes trained on Weiss, who finally came to a pause at the center of the stage. She lifted her head and looked out over her audience for this evening's performance.

For Pyrrha's matches, this was the part where everyone stood out of their seats and whooped and hollered and cheered at the top of their lungs, dropping the snacks they'd bought and scattering popcorn everywhere as they jumped up and down.

She immediately found that Weiss' concerts gave off an entirely different atmosphere.

Everyone remained in their seats, and the only sounds of encouragement were the sounds of clapping.

Somehow, just that didn't seem like enough to Pyrrha, but she wasn't about to make a fool of herself by being the only person to do otherwise.

So she made sure to clap just a little bit louder than the people next to her to show how eager she was for tonight's show.

As they clapped, Weiss pinched the ends of her dress with dainty fingers, took a step sideways and dipped her torso into a perfect curtsey.

Pyrrha didn't dare to look down at the pamphlet in her hands for fear she'd miss even a second of this beautiful girl.

She remembered that the first song would be an aria of sorts. At this closer proximity, she could very clearly see Weiss parting her lips now, her chest expanding slightly as she took in her breath, her eyelids falling down to give her an overall melancholy appearance.

Pyrrha didn't noticed she herself had been holding her breath until the second Weiss released hers.

The voice that drifted up on the air was an absolutely beautiful sound. Pyrrha wished there was a better word for it, but right now 'beautiful' was all that was on her mind.

The pace of this song was very slow, and Weiss' voice glided over every word, every note, effortlessly. Her voice was so much clearer, so much more enticing than any recording or replay on the radio.

None of those did her any justice. She sounded like an angel.

Pyrrha had been so fixated on Weiss and on the girl's incredible voice that she'd failed to notice the next subtle round of effects.

A light flurry of snowflake-like powder was beginning to fall all around the stage. It sparkled in whites, silvers, and blues, each tiny flake catching the light at different times as they fell, giving off a sense of perpetual snowfall.

A small shiver traveled up Pyrrha's spine, but it wasn't because of the whites and blues making her cold. In fact, she felt oddly warm, despite the environment.

She shivered because this was her first time experiencing something like this.

She'd been to concerts in the past, but never before had she ever been so _enchanted_ , just by the first song alone. She'd never heard such a lovely voice, especially one that was unsupported by instruments of any kind. No microphone, no instruments, no additional singers meant that every minuscule part of Weiss' voice was heard by every ear in the room.

And yet her breath never hitched, her words never faltered, and her sound never suffered. Every consonant, every stressed sound, every single nuance was annunciated with perfect articulation, every time.

Her voice matched her beauty, and vice versa.

Pyrrha was lost in the song, and only when Weiss held out one last note before fading into silence did she realize the song was already at an end.

Over three minutes of Pyrrha's life had just passed her by, and yet she'd hardly even noticed them. She instantly found herself missing the words, missing the sound of that voice.

But as a soft yet delighted applause went up around her, she quickly joined in to show her support.

Typically, the length of an applause demonstrated how pleased an audience was by the performance, and Weiss was given one of the longest Pyrrha had ever seen. It lasted an entire minute, just for the first song alone.

Weiss dipped her head, presenting them all with a reserved smile, her eyes reflecting the brightness of the lights above her.

The girl swept her gaze around the audience, and Pyrrha felt she paused for just a second longer when Weiss' eyes locked with hers.

But as soon as Pyrrha blinked, Weiss had looked elsewhere.

At last, the applause died down as Weiss prepared for her next piece. Music began to play from somewhere unseen, once more demonstrating that the audience's focus should be only on Weiss and nowhere else.

The instruments that accompanied her music were light, airy, gentle kinds, nothing at all rowdy or deafening. Tinkling piano keys, lulling violins, and even an entrancing harp. All sounds that put one's mind at ease.

Pyrrha found relief when Weiss' voice was carried into the air once again, as she'd found herself missing it terribly during the brief pause.

The next song was a bit livelier, and with the instruments now introduced, it called for a slight alteration in Weiss' voice. She needed to take deeper breaths and sing with more support than before, adding a bit more volume in order not to be drowned out.

It was a very subtle change, one Pyrrha wouldn't even have noticed if not for the slightly louder tone Weiss was using.

But Weiss was a professional, and she never showed the fact that she needed to put in a bit more effort now. She never lost her breath or forced a note, never had to scramble to finish one word or gasp to begin the next.

Pyrrha knew of plenty of other more experienced singers who often made such blunders.

But not Weiss.

As with the first song, everything was perfect, every intake and exhale, every word and every note. Her outstanding performance spoke of years of rigorous training behind closed doors, countless lessons on how to speak and breathe and project her voice.

Weiss was nothing short of stunning.

Again, Pyrrha hardly realized the time that was passing during the song, and only realized it when the music stopped and the applause started up once more.

For the next song, Weiss drew the rapier at her hip right as the music started. She began moving around the stage with a slow, confident stride, turning the chambers in the rapier until she'd selected the color she wanted.

She formed several glyphs, all blue and white, and caused them to move in accordance to her step and song. They glided around the stage in swaying motions, hypnotizing the audience with the magical feeling they gave off.

With all of this, combined with Weiss' captivating voice, no one watching even dared to blink.

The following songs were all accompanied by Weiss' glyphs, all varying in color, coated in different forms of Dust. Some sparkled with blue ice, some burned with red flames, some swirled with yellow lightning. All matched the tone and lyrics of the song being sung at the time.

Weiss controlled them with professionalism and skill, sometimes making them swirl in time with the piano or the violins.

Pyrrha was utterly baffled. She couldn't comprehend how Weiss was managing to form glyphs, wield her weapon, control the Dust, move herself around, and sing all at the same time. It took painfully high levels of expertise to accomplish something so intricate.

Now Pyrrha felt she truly understood the level of prestige and the meaning behind the excitement associated with Weiss Schnee's concerts.

The angelic music, the alluring lights, the magical display of Dust...

It was almost like an otherworldly experience.

When each song ended, the audience was forced to momentarily break their suspension of disbelief to clap, and then were pulled right back in.

Pyrrha never wanted it to end. She was so drawn to Weiss and the manner in which she performed. It was astounding.

So when the announcement was made that this would be the final song, Pyrrha felt her shoulders slump a bit. But she gave Weiss her undivided attention for the final number.

Only piano accompanied the piece this time, and Weiss reverted back to using her softer tone.

The lyrics instantly told it was a song of love, admiring someone from afar, seeing but never being seen.

It broke Pyrrha's heart, and yet it drew her in deeper by the second.

The tone of the song was hauntingly beautiful, and elicited a mix of emotions Pyrrha had never felt before.

By the time the final note was sung, she found she was crying.

Weiss' voice faded, and the echo of the last piano key dissipated into thin air.

There was a moment of complete silence.

The audience was made to realize it was over, though they refused to accept it right away.

Then, the applause erupted.

It was much louder than any of the previous times, as though this refined group of onlookers had temporarily tossed away their important titles and properness. People were standing up from their seats, some were smiling and some were sobbing.

Pyrrha was somewhere in between, but she stood up as well, clapping hard enough for her hands to sting.

Weiss concealed her breathlessness with another round of curtsies, turning herself slightly each time to face every section of the audience.

And again, Pyrrha met her eyes.

She felt a bit bashful due to the fact that she was crying, but she didn't care. She smiled earnestly and clapped harder now that she knew Weiss could see her.

And the girl onstage smiled back, and even gave the tiniest little bounce of delight.

Pyrrha felt a warmth in her chest for every second those beautiful blue eyes were locked with her own.

Something about Weiss greatly intrigued her, and it was beyond her appearance and her skill.

Pyrrha considered herself extremely lucky that not only had her ticket been for a front row seat, but it was also a VIP pass.

She made sure to clap until the announcer spoke over the intercom, thanked the audience, and asked them to take their leave.

Weiss gave one final curtsey and turned her back, then exited the stage.

Pyrrha waited to see how many other people were headed for the stage to have brief VIP meetings with the girl.

Typically, Pyrrha herself would get anywhere from twenty to thirty, due to the largeness of her audiences.

But again, Weiss' attendees were only a select fraction of Pyrrha's, therefore only ten people per concert were permitted the VIP tickets.

Of course, Pyrrha wasn't _required_ to go and see Weiss.

But she very much _wanted_ to. Especially after what had happened after her own tournament.

She'd wanted to see Weiss then, but had understood how intimidating such a thing was, and saw why the girl had backed out at the last minute.

But the fact that Weiss had gone through all the trouble of sending her sister in her stead, and had her offer Pyrrha a ticket to Weiss' own performance said a lot of things. Mainly that she truly _did_ want to meet with Pyrrha, but perhaps in a more familiar environment.

Pyrrha wasn't about to get cold feet now.

She followed the instructions of the nearby security guards, who were all gathering the ten VIPs from the first row of seats. Pyrrha made it a point to slip to the end of the line as they were all led up to the stage.

She waited patiently, watching as each person before her disappeared behind the curtains.

These guests were different from Pyrrha's, who were normally young children or people her own age. The people visiting Weiss were all much older.

They walked away one by one, not with autographed notebooks and cheery grins, but rather with contemptuous eyes. Pyrrha could tell they were all here for business reasons only, and Weiss had rejected whatever offers they'd made.

 _How awful. To have the majority of her fans simply be after her money and her hard-earned talent._

Pyrrha was often given genuine praise, hugs, and even little gifts from her fans. They'd take pictures together and ask her strings of questions about how she fought.

Every once in a while she would be approached by someone looking to exploit her, but Pyrrha was a master at turning them down politely.

It seemed Weiss got the majority of those people, and only rarely got visited by the preferred kind of fan.

Pyrrha couldn't help but glower at each well-dressed man and woman that walked away, calculating declining numbers in their heads once they'd failed to buy Weiss for themselves.

However, she was rather content to see a familiar face amongst the crowds – Weiss' sister, who had introduced herself to Pyrrha yesterday.

Winter didn't seem particularly happy about the discourteous people either, and as every one of them exited the stage, she approached, took them aside, and had a rather chilling conversation with them. Pyrrha smiled as she watched them all scurry away with tails between their legs after that.

At last, the person before herself was brought up backstage, and now Pyrrha was the last person left on line. Winter was finally able to approach and speak with her.

"Miss Nikos." She dipped her head, doing her best to brush off the lingering annoyances in favor of respect. "I'm very pleased you made it tonight. Did you enjoy my sister's performance?"

"Oh, yes. She was incredible! Absolutely grand! I'm so honored I was given the opportunity to attend such a wonderful performance! And free of charge!"

Winter's lips curled up a bit.

"Well, perhaps not in the form of money. But there is a slight bit of payment I would appreciate if you'd make." Her eyes flashed up to the curtain, where her sister was likely being harassed by another shark.

Sure enough, it was only a few seconds later when a man was escorted out by two male guards and asked to take his leave. Winter sighed.

"Every time. But I'm glad she's clever enough to see through their unscrupulous tricks. She's never once fallen for their kind words and even kinder offers."

"I... don't mean to sound rude..." Pyrrha said in a low voice. "But that's... kind of horrible. Isn't it?"

Winter gave a single nod.

"It is. But unfortunately, there's not much Weiss can do about it except keep refusing them. She's got her own agenda set by our father, but that doesn't mean she can simply ignore the wishes of other potential sponsors. But this way, if she at least meets with them face to face and turns them down politely, they can't go complaining about us behind our backs."

Pyrrha frowned.

"So even after her performance is over, she's still working."

"Essentially, yes."

Winter watched as the most-recently-rejected man straightened himself up and headed for the exit doors. The rest of the audience had left, and now only a few other guards remained inside.

Now that Pyrrha was the only guest left, Winter offered a kind smile and a hand to her.

"Now then. Would you care to make your payment and make my little sister's night?"

Pyrrha's smile returned as she accepted that gloved hand.

"I would love to."

Winter led her up the steps until Pyrrha was onstage herself. The other two guards seemed to tense, as though anticipating another businessman. But Pyrrha saw them visibly relax at the sight of her. They even smiled and greeted her kindly.

"Miss Nikos! What a pleasant surprise tonight."

"I assure you, you're the kindest face we've seen all evening."

"Oh, gentlemen, you flatter me!"

They were about to follow her behind stage, as it was required that when Weiss met with her VIPs, she not be left alone with them without guard.

But Winter held up a hand to them to dismiss them for the night.

"I'll take this one myself."

They left the two men behind, and Pyrrha directed her full attention to the white curtain now. Winter pulled it aside for her, and Pyrrha bowed politely before entering.

It was very well-lit behind the stage, and there were staff personnel bustling about here and there to get the clean-up in order. Winter directed Pyrrha to a small lounge area with two cushioned seats and a small coffee table in between them. Weiss was seated at one, presently waving over a passing worker to make a request for a glass of water.

Winter had Pyrrha pause and stepped in front of her before she raised her voice a little.

"Weiss?"

The young heiress looked up to see her sister. Pyrrha was hidden from view for the most part, but she didn't miss seeing the sparkle in Weiss' eyes and the smile on her face when she realized it was her sister here now, and not some old man.

"Winter!"

Weiss stood from her chair and ran to her, throwing her arms around her in the most refined way possible. Winter returned the embrace warmly, in a way that made Pyrrha's eyes water to see them both like this. Weiss sighed and asked a soft question.

"Did I do well tonight?"

"You did wonderfully, as always," Winter assured her. "But there _is_ one last VIP here to see you tonight." She released Weiss and stepped aside.

Pyrrha could see it in Weiss' expression, the hopefulness that it _might_ be her, and the doubt that it probably wasn't.

But the latter emotion was swept away immediately when she saw Pyrrha for herself.

Weiss brought a hand to her mouth in disbelief, struggling to think of something to say. Pyrrha lifted that burden from her shoulders and greeted her first.

"Weiss!" she beamed. "It's so good to finally meet you!"

Winter gently nudged her sister forward and then took her leave of the girls. Weiss all but stumbled, though she quickly righted herself.

"Not at all. The pleasure's all mine."

"I assure you, it's mine! Your performance tonight was simply outstanding! I've never seen _anything_ like it before. It was truly and experience. Thank you."

Weiss was clearly getting flustered now. Pyrrha guessed she was so used to hearing nice things backed by business pitches that she didn't know how to react to genuine praise.

Just then, a woman came by with a glass of water and handed it to Weiss, who thanked her quickly.

"Sorry," she said to Pyrrha. "Would you, perhaps, like a drink?"

"Oh-" Pyrrha was about to refuse, but then she thought better of it. "Well, actually, some water might be nice."

The woman hurried off to fetch another glass.

Weiss clutched her glass with both hands – after all, she was finally meeting the person she admired most in the world.

"Please," she said softly. "Have a seat if you'd like."

Pyrrha gladly accepted the invitation and sat across from Weiss with the table in between them. Weiss was still holding tightly to her glass, as though unsure of whether or not she should drink in front of Pyrrha and risk appearing rude.

But Pyrrha could guess the girl hadn't had anything to drink since before the start of the concert, and after a full hour of nothing but professional singing, she knew Weiss must be parched.

Pyrrha was glad when her own glass of water arrived just then. She thanked the woman and brought her own glass to her lips, a small, subtle hidden message in the etiquette; if the guest drinks, the host may feel free to drink as well.

Thankfully, Weiss understood, and began sipping at her own glass.

Once their dry throats had been satisfied, both girls placed their empty glasses down on the table, and their eyes inevitably met. Pyrrha was certain she got the first word in.

"Weiss... I truly can't say it enough. I can't convey properly just what your music makes me _feel_. It's incredible. It's beyond me." She spoke with a smile, all but gushing about the performance.

And Weiss was a little lost for words. She really wasn't used to hearing these sort of things. She had to try and remember how to reply to such praise.

"I'm very pleased you feel that way. It means my performance was a success."

"A _grand_ success," Pyrrha chuckled. "I really can't get over it. The Dust effects were amazing enough, but your _voice!_ I've never heard anything quite so beautiful."

Weiss felt her heart jump back to life. She inhaled slowly and tried to keep her voice level.

"Thank you. Really." She smiled. "I... I'd wanted to say similar things about your match yesterday. I'm sorry I got cold feet and didn't see you, even after you'd gone through all the trouble to arrange it. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize! I completely understand how intimidating it must've been. It was wrong of me to think you'd feel comfortable in doing something like that, surrounded by total strangers."

"And yet, you managed to do it for me tonight..."

"Only because this is an entirely different environment. Everything is so well-organized here. I didn't feel anxious at all.

"But I can imagine how rowdy and rambunctious my stadium must have been. Don't worry about it, Weiss. It's my pleasure to be here. I'm _so_ glad you invited me tonight. I never might have attended otherwise if I hadn't known you'd wanted to see me personally."

Weiss stiffened a little, hoping the lighting could conceal the blush she felt coming on.

"Oh! Well, I've... really admired you for quite some time. About a decade, actually..."

"Ten years?" Pyrrha blurted. "You've been watching me for _that_ long?"

Weiss nodded almost guiltily.

"Every match. Every tournament. Every pageant. I've always wanted to meet you. Your fighting style is impeccable. You're so powerful and so graceful at the same time."

Words were beginning to fail her, so she finished before she could start stammering and make a fool of herself. "You're just... _incredible_."

Pyrrha's smile shone brighter with every word that came from Weiss' lips.

Of course, she'd heard all of those words a million different times before from a million different people.

But coming from Weiss, they seemed to have _meaning_.

"Well, then," she said. "It seems you feel the same way about me as I feel about you! On top of your breathtaking performance with Dust, there's your lovely voice, as I've said. And on top of that, you're very pretty."

Weiss' heart skipped. She wanted to look away, but Pyrrha's gaze kept hers, bright and inviting and warm. Weiss barely noticed when she replied back.

"I think the same about you."

It was Pyrrha's turn to blush. She knew she'd been attracted to Weiss from the start, but she honestly hadn't expected it to be mutual.

But...

But it _was_.

She very nearly squealed in delight, but she managed to restrain herself, though she failed to erase her wide smile.

"Then... if that's how you feel... perhaps we should get to know each other a little better?"

Weiss could scarcely believe what she was hearing, seeing, feeling, _experiencing_ , right now.

 _Pyrrha Nikos_ was... she was-

"Yes..." the heiress replied. "Absolutely. I would... I would love to, Pyrrha."

The champion nodded excitedly.

"Then I've got an idea."

She reached into her skirt pocket and extracted a small piece of paper and a pen. Her agent insisted she never go anywhere unprepared.

But he typically intended for her to use them to write down information about her matches for interested persons-

-not to write down her number for a beautiful girl.

But write it she did, and signed it with her name before offering it to the singer.

Weiss' heart really almost stopped that time. She stared down at the paper, then up into Pyrrha's eyes. The champion winked.

"What say you to making plans to get lunch together sometime soon?"

Weiss needed to force herself to respond verbally.

"Y-Yes, I... I would love to..."

"Then the feeling's mutual."

At that point, Pyrrha stood from her chair, sensing her time with Weiss was just about over.

Weiss clutched the small paper to her chest and stood as well. Pyrrha could see the pink tint on the girl's cheeks, and felt a similar heat rising up in her own face.

Pyrrha was truly smitten with her.

"Th-Thank you for having me," she said quickly, turning away. "You can call me anytime."

Weiss was still in shock, but it was beginning to wear off, enough so that she could smile again.

"Yes. I... I will. Thank you, Pyrrha."

The champion suppressed a giggle of joy, and instead made it a polite farewell.

"I very much look forward to hearing from you, Weiss. Have a good night. I'll see you soon."

"Yes. Yes you will."

With Weiss' affirmation, Pyrrha made her way offstage, unknowingly followed by Winter's approving gaze.

Weiss turned around and headed back to her seat where she relieved her trembling legs for a moment, sitting down and trying to absorb everything that had just happened in such a short amount of time. She looked down at her hands, fearing the paper had just been an illusion.

But it was there, written in red ink and signed with Pyrrha's name.

She hadn't noticed the tiny heart that had been drawn in until now.

It made her own heart leap, and little did she know Pyrrha's was doing much the same.

They parted that night with a new kind of warmth in their chests, and though their hearts were beating a mile a minute, they also soared with an elation they'd never felt before.

* * *

 **A/N: A first meeting basically becomes basis for a first date! Not too shabby for two young ladies who've never been in love before, right? But how will rushing into things turn out?**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	3. Dinner For Two

**It's time for Weiss and Pyrrha to meet up for their first 'date'!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 3. Dinner For Two

Even hours after Weiss had returned home on her air ship that night with Winter, she still couldn't believe what had happened.

She kept asking her sister if it had all been real, then checking and re-checking the piece of paper in her pocket. Being it was already so late now, she'd decided that she wouldn't send a message until tomorrow.

Weiss was dropped off back at the Schnee mansion just before midnight, where she headed straight to her quarters to reflect on the success of the evening.

She was simply trying to process it all, because the idea that her idol of ten years had recognized and even seemed interested in her was simply beyond comprehension. Surely Pyrrha Nikos had better people to spend her time on?

But still, Weiss couldn't un-see those delighted, shimmering green eyes, nor could she un-hear the sweet, pleasant voice. She'd seen and heard Pyrrha interact with people many times before, but somehow, the way she'd done it with Weiss last night made the heiress feel almost... special.

Of course, she fully understood that those feelings could simply be things she herself was imposing after the long evening and her unbridled excitement.

She tried to clear her head as she showered, dried her hair, and changed into her nightgown. When she re-entered her bedroom, she was almost surprised to find the little slip of paper still lying on her pillow where she'd left it. Part of her had expected it to have disappeared, and she probably would've suspected it had never existed at all.

But there it was, those familiar digits she'd read and re-read a thousands times already and committed to memory. And just beneath it was Pyrrha's signature, neat, flowing calligraphy, despite the fact she'd written it out so quickly and with only the feeble support of a thin notepad.

Weiss couldn't help but trace the letters with her eyes as she flicked off her lamp and laid herself down. The exhausting night caught up with her all too quickly, and before she could even finish replaying her meeting with Pyrrha in her mind, sleep swept over her.

* * *

She was surprised to wake the next morning and find that she still had that piece of paper in her hand.

It was still real.

And yet she still couldn't believe it.

Being the day after one of her concerts, Weiss didn't have a terribly packed schedule for her lessons today – just a few in the afternoon. It was one of those rare days where she actually had the luxury to sleep in a bit and keep to herself for the morning hours.

Rolling over, she reached out to grab her scroll from the nightstand and brought it onto her pillow.

It was almost surreal to be typing Pyrrha Nikos' number into her personal scroll, and part of her actually expected it to be a hoax. She didn't know what kind of message to type out, what would be too formal, or perhaps too informal. She didn't know if now would be a good time either, but she supposed it would be as good a time as any.

So she kept things polite but simple and typed out:

 _ **Hello, Pyrrha. Good morning.**_

Weiss read and re-read the four words close to twenty times to ensure she hadn't misspelled anything, making sure the punctuation was correct. She didn't want to end up sending Pyrrha a typo as her first message. Not only would it make Weiss seem more desperate than she was, but she'd also never live it down personally.

Once she was satisfied with reading it over, she hit SEND before she could change her mind.

At that point, she intended to get up and dress herself, but before she could even remove the covers from herself, she got a reply. Her heart admittedly started to pound a little faster as she tapped the screen of her scroll and opened her new message.

The number she'd input as Pyrrha's was displayed on-screen, and a little green bubble appeared beneath the blue one Weiss had sent. The reply read:

 _ **Oh, is this Weiss? Good morning!**_

The singer stared at the message for a moment or so, trying to comprehend the fact that Pyrrha had actually replied to her, and within such a timely manner. Weiss didn't want to keep her waiting any longer than she had to.

 _ **Yes, it's me! Sorry, I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time.**_

Again, the reply was fairly quick.

 _ **Not at all! You have perfect timing! But I think it'd be best to make our dinner plans later this evening. Will that work for you?**_

Weiss was shocked that Pyrrha had remembered their plans of a dinner date, and perhaps even more shocked that she'd truly meant for such an event to take place at all. Weiss' heart was still thumping as she typed out her response.

 _ **Yes. Later this evening works. Please message me whenever it's best for you.**_

A few seconds later:

 _ **Oh, you're so sweet! Alright, I'll message you again later, maybe around 6. Have a good day, Weiss!**_

It was all the heiress could do to reply with, **_Thank you._** ** _You as well_** before the scroll slipped from her hands and onto her pillow.

Even after she'd just conversed with Pyrrha, nothing felt real. Weiss felt she might not believe any of this until she was physically at a restaurant with Pyrrha standing in front of her.

But eventually, she managed to get herself out of bed and prepare for the day.

Winter had gone back to the military base last night after dropping Weiss off at home, so aside from her servants and father, Weiss was alone in the mansion. And even with so many people there, when Winter in particular wasn't with her, Weiss felt more alone than ever.

But that morning, it wasn't as bad as it typically was. The promise of speaking to Pyrrha again later on in the evening made it seem as though there was someone beside Weiss all morning, even if there really was no one there.

It was more like the presence of a promise had been gently wrapped around her heart.

It was something she didn't normally have – something to look forward to.

. . .

Before her lessons began, she found herself face to face with her father.

He always made sure to see her a day after a concert to give a critique, whereas any other day, he wouldn't care much for her presence.

Weiss listened attentively to the good and the bad, the praises and the faults of her most recent performance.

But overall, her father seemed rather pleased with her this time around. It was the first time in months Weiss didn't feel her heart drop into the pit of her stomach after speaking with him. She felt almost elated in knowing he'd approved of her concert. He even praised her for turning down the offers that had been made to her.

Though there was one thing he said that made her jolt.

"And what about that girl, Pyrrha Nikos?" he asked sternly. "The one you'd gone to see and then your sister tells me you'd backed out on meeting her? It wasn't wise of you to go back on your word, especially in meeting such a well-known young person. I understand she attended the concert last night. Did she seem pleased?"

Weiss swallowed, trying to maintain eye contact, though she often purposefully blurred her vision so she didn't have to see his eyes directly.

"Yes, Father. She was in the front row, and came to see me afterward. She praised me highly."

She left out the more personal details and the scroll number exchanges for now. All he wanted to hear about was Pyrrha's reaction.

Weiss was relieved to see he seemed satisfied with what she told him.

"It's good to know she enjoyed herself after you so rudely decided not to meet her after her own match. Make sure to invite her again. She could be a valuable asset."

Weiss dipped her head and stepped back to let him exit.

This was the only part about all of this she didn't like, that if she and Pyrrha did become closer, it would ultimately help her father's reputation in the long run. Weiss didn't want to feel she was becoming friends with Pyrrha solely for her father's sake, and she didn't want Pyrrha feeling that was the case, either.

* * *

As the rest of the day passed her by, Weiss tried to plan out exactly what she wanted to say to Pyrrha tonight around 6PM without seeming too distracted.

The day seemed to drag on a little slower than most others, and she realized it was exactly _because_ she had something to look forward to.

By the time her lessons were over, Weiss ate a quick dinner in the dining hall and then scurried up to her room before anyone could stop her. She completed her lesson assignments right away, so they wouldn't be hanging over her head as she talked to Pyrrha.

Once her work was done, she changed into her sleepwear and then relaxed on her bed to file her nails. It was difficult not to look at the time displayed on her scroll every single second, but after six o' clock hit, she started getting butterflies in her stomach. Her scroll vibrated a few minutes later, and Weiss eagerly read the message.

 _ **Sorry I was a bit late! I had a busy day!**_

Weiss typed back quickly, her fingers fueled by her excitement.

 ** _It's perfectly fine!_**

 _ **You really are too sweet, Weiss! Alright then, I guess we should figure out dinner plans. Well, first tell me what kind of food you'd prefer.**_

Weiss was easily drawn into the conversation with her, following Pyrrha's lead and asking what kind of food she liked as well.

Weiss found out a surprising amount about Pyrrha in just those few minutes of exchanging messages.

The two girls ultimately decided seafood might be best, since they both had a particular liking of it. Pyrrha also admitted to Weiss that she enjoyed junk food and burgers from time to time as a guilty pleasure. Weiss confessed that she had a bit of a sweet tooth at times.

The tone that was set between them was casual and comfortable.

Weiss was amazed at how quickly she forgot she was talking to a renown young fighter.

And little did she know, it was the same for Pyrrha, who'd just about forgotten that the girl she was texting now was the same one she'd seen giving an outstanding performance onstage last night.

Next, they decided on the larger details.

Weiss' residence was in Atlas and Pyrrha's was in Mistral. Finances were hardly an issue for either of them, but there was the matter of distance and transportation.

Pyrrha ended up searching for restaurants located about an equal distance between them, while Weiss was checking her calendar for a day her schedule was free.

They eventually decided on a restaurant that would only be under an hour flight for both of them in private ships, and they chose to do it on a day when both of them had free time.

Both girls knew this could have been figured out over a few days' worth of time. But both were so excited, so thrilled with the idea of getting to see each other again in a much more casual environment that they were both overcome with a sense of urgency. They'd wanted to get all of the details figured out as soon as possible to make it official.

About an hour later, it was done. Their dinner date was set for just about one week from now, on Saturday evening.

Weiss needed to let it sink in that she and Pyrrha had actually made these plans. She herself had called the number for the restaurant Pyrrha had given her and made reservations for two at the designated time and date. As soon as she'd gotten off the phone, she'd texted Pyrrha news of her success.

They only typed back and forth to one another, but it was clear they were equally joyous in the way they messaged each other. They even talked casually for a short while after that, but soon wished each other goodnight.

Even after she'd said goodbye to Pyrrha, Weiss looked over their text conversation again. She really had learned a lot about Pyrrha.

She enjoyed seafood on special occasions, but her agent would often help her sneak junk food and justify that she needed the calories. She had a match almost every weekday except Tuesdays, which had recently been designated to be the days she practiced fighting Grimm before she brought them to the arena.

Weiss also learned that although Pyrrha traveled all around Remnant for her matches, she tended to stay in Mistral's general area more so than anywhere else. Which Weiss felt was nice, since Pyrrha would get to visit her own home fairly often, as Pyrrha herself had told her.

It had only been twenty-four hours since they'd formally met, and yet somehow, Weiss felt as though she'd known Pyrrha this well for at least a week.

She re-read the messages again as she lie in bed that night, trying to configure Pyrrha's voice in her mind and hear her words being spoken from her lips.

The girl she'd always admired was now someone she could message at will and meet up with whenever it was convenient for the both of them.

Weiss never thought this would have been possible for her. She knew this never would have been possible if not for Winter, and Weiss made a mental note to message her sister about this development tomorrow.

But for now, her chest was bubbling with excitement, which conflicted with the residual exhaustion from yesterday and today combined.

Weiss read Pyrrha's goodnight message one last time before sleep took her.

* * *

It was tricky for Weiss to convince her father to let her go meet up with Pyrrha for dinner.

When she'd made the plans with Pyrrha, she'd been so caught up in it all and had made the reservations right away, without thinking how her father might react to the idea.

Weiss had messaged Winter her words of thanks as intended, and then made her most recent dilemma known.

Due to her age and her more aggressive line of work, Winter knew how to talk to their father much more effectively than Weiss did. She wasn't scared of him nor in his debt, and had he not been partially responsible for her birth, Weiss might've gone so far as to think Winter and he could have been almost equals.

The next time Winter came to visit home a few days later, Weiss rushed to hug her, finding she didn't care how unprofessional it might've been. Winter patted her shoulders reassuringly and murmured to her.

"Leave everything to me."

She and Weiss went to see their father together after that, entering his office with his permission granted. As they walked inside, he looked them both over with unreadable eyes and leaned over his desk.

"What's this about?"

"Father," Weiss began, trying not to falter. She wanted to be a part of this. She didn't want Winter to have to fight all of her battles for her. Weiss met her father's eyes and smiled calmly. "I wanted to inform you of a certain arrangement I've made. That is, dinner reservations with Miss Nikos in Mistral next Saturday."

The man's eyes widened a bit, just enough to let her know he'd heard. He remained still, calculating eyes trained on his youngest daughter.

"You did all of this without my permission? What if I'd arranged an event for you on that day? You're certainly lucky I haven't, but if I had-"

"Father, please." Winter boldly cut him off, but somehow did it so smoothly it didn't sound rude at all. "You've just _got_ to hear about how enthralled Miss Nikos was the night of the concert. She was so impressed with Weiss, she could hardly wait to meet with her backstage. And all the while, she was highly interested. In fact, it was _she_ who made the suggestion of seeing Weiss for dinner."

Winter had told Weiss beforehand that mentioning this tidbit to their father would be very important. This way, he knew that it had been Pyrrha who had taken the initial interest in meeting his daughter, and not simply Weiss being presumptuous and initiating things with a guest.

Weiss could see his demeanor changing before her very eyes. She might've even dared to say he looked pleased.

"Really now? A famous young girl like Nikos asking _my_ daughter to dinner? That's quite something. That could indeed be a very good matter for the press to focus on. Perhaps we can find some terms to agree upon..."

Winter had warned Weiss about this, too. She'd known her father would only see this as a business venture, but given Pyrrha's exceptional reputation around the world, it was one he clearly enjoyed mulling over.

If Weiss and Pyrrha grew close, he could eventually make contact with the other girl's agents. Pyrrha's and Weiss' performances alone were major attractions. But for him to imagine potentially combining those performances some day...

It was an opportunity he couldn't afford to ignore.

And just as Winter had predicted, Weiss heard his approval.

"Very well. You have my permission to go meet her. I'll prepare a ship for your transport. And be sure to make plans for a follow-up arrangement."

Weiss needed to keep herself from bouncing in place. She hid her growing smile with a deep bow.

"Yes, Father!"

Winter dipped her head to him and quickly turned Weiss around to lead her out of the office and closed the door behind them.

At that point, the older girl's lips broke out into a smile as well. She might've been a very serious woman, but when it came to seeing her little sister so happy, Winter couldn't help but be overjoyed.

"Well, you've done it, Weiss! Congratulations!"

Weiss threw her arms around her again.

"Thank you, Winter! Thank you so much!"

"Believe me. It's my pleasure." Winter held her close for a moment, savoring Weiss' mirth. Then, she stepped away and made a casual offer. "Now then, why don't we head outside and I'll show you a few new glyph techniques you might consider using in your next performance? I'll help you practice."

Weiss agreed and eagerly followed, now counting down the hours until she'd next see Pyrrha again.

* * *

When the day finally arrived, Weiss hopped out of bed after a good night's sleep and was eager to start getting herself ready.

She ate a light breakfast and spent the majority of her time that morning fussing over her appearance.

Considering the rarity of the occasion, she decided to select one of her best dresses for the evening. It was strapless and sleeveless, and the main color was a brilliant white that faded into silvery blue around the edges.

But she felt the exposure of her shoulders was a bit too much, so she immediately covered them with a soft white shawl. Matching shoes went to her feet, and she then spent a good amount of time brushing and fixing her hair. She left it mostly down except for a small section at the back of her head which she rolled up into a bun, and placed her tiara on top to secure it.

She'd gone out to dinner a few times in the past, but those had all been pleasantries for potential sponsors or business partners, and each time Weiss had been accompanied by her father and sister.

This would be the first time in her life she'd be going on an actual dinner date by herself.

She did her best not to display her bursting excitement all morning long. Whenever her father happened to pass her by especially, she would slow her stride and act as though she had nothing particularly special to do today. But the second he was out of sight, she'd give a twirl that sent her dress flowing.

Before she knew it, the hour to catch her ship was approaching. Weiss retreated to her room and grabbed a small blue purse to take with her. Into it, she slipped her scroll, her wallet, and the slip of paper with Pyrrha's number on it. She also added an extra spritz of perfume to her neck before putting the bottle in as well.

At that point she paused herself briefly, taking a moment to process it all. Her heart was thrumming, and her chest felt tight again, even though she hadn't even seen Pyrrha yet.

 _I'll have to be professional, of course. If I don't make tonight a success, Father won't be happy, and he might not ever let me meet her again..._

The thought made her stomach twist, but before the panic could rise up, it was pushed down when her scroll buzzed. She unzipped her purse and dug it out quickly to find Pyrrha had just messaged her.

 _ **I'm leaving for my ship now! I'll see you soon!**_

And just like that, all of the uncertainties crumbled into dust. Weiss typed a swift response:

 _ **I'm leaving as well. See you soon!**_

With Pyrrha's reassuring presence now soothing her mind once more, Weiss hurried out of her room, down the stairs, into the parlor, and out the door.

One of her butlers was waiting for her there and led her across the property to where her small, private air ship was waiting for her. Weiss boarded and got herself situated, and in a matter of minutes they were off.

At the very least, she was alone in the seating area of the ship, which allowed her the privacy she required to work off some of the jitters.

Using a small handheld mirror, she made sure her dress, shawl, and makeup were perfect multiple times, fixed and re-fixed her hair, and controlled her breathing.

But even though she could change all of those things to her heart's desire, no matter how hard she tried she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

It felt like much less time than an hour when the ship began to descend. Weiss initially thought they were landing elsewhere to refuel or something of that nature.

But when she peered out over the city below, the architectural style of the buildings and old-fashioned paneling of the roofs confirmed they were indeed in Mistral. Pyrrha's ship should be landing at the same platform soon, if she wasn't already here.

Weiss checked her appearance one last time, then slipped her mirror into her purse and stood as the ship landed.

This wouldn't only be her first time going out to meet someone for dinner, but also the first time she'd be permitted to go about at her leisure without guards. She'd be lying to say she wasn't a little nervous.

But as she stepped off the platform and joined in with the crowds of people, she found the prospect of being unsupervised was exhilarating.

No one to keep tabs on her and report back to her father.

Weiss could enjoy herself to the fullest tonight - and she intended to.

She'd discussed with Pyrrha where they'd find one another once they'd landed, and Weiss quickly directed her gaze up to the large numbers hovering all along the platform, indicating which terminal was which. She hurried to number 4 and searched for a familiar face.

But it seemed Pyrrha's ship hadn't arrived yet.

There were several vacant benches nearby, but Weiss found she was too excited to sit still. Yet there were too many other people walking around and jostling her where she was standing, so she moved back until she was pressed against the wall and waited.

Her heart thumped hard every time, partially because of the nervousness and partially because of the excitement.

Now that she was still, the sounds around her were reaching her more easily, and they were boisterous. She felt like she was a part of a particularly rowdy audience again. She closed her eyes, not wanting to overload her senses all at once and end up causing problems before Pyrrha had even arrived.

But not long afterward, past the roaring of departing ships and the din of the bustling crowds, a new sound reached Weiss' ears. It was a single voice, clear and familiar and overjoyed.

"Weiss!"

And just like that, any queasiness she'd felt before was gone.

She opened her eyes and saw her, hurrying towards her with a bright smile on her face.

Her attire for the night was equally as formal as Weiss' was, though the dress was a deep crimson with a bit more of a mature design. The straps crossed around her collar, and her shoulders were bare. Her hair had also been let down, and it flowed behind her like a small scarlet ocean. Her eyes were two gleaming emerald guideposts, drawing Weiss to them in the sea of unfamiliar people.

After taking in her stunning appearance, Weiss could scarcely breathe as she stepped up to meet her.

"Pyrrha..."

The other girl reached her just then, joyously reaching out to take both of Weiss' hands in hers.

"Oh, I'm so glad you could make it! Sorry I was late! I hope you didn't have to wait too long."

Weiss' heart rate increased again when she felt Pyrrha's hands grasping hers with a gentle firmness, spreading a foreign but welcomed warmth over her knuckles.

"Not at all. I'm glad you could make it as well, Pyrrha. I've been wanting to see you very much."

"It's the same for me!" She gave a slight tug, coaxing Weiss a step closer to her. Her smile was infectious, and probably bright enough to light up a small town. "Weiss, you'll have to forgive me. I'm just _so_ excited to be with you this evening! I know we only met formerly a short while ago, and since then most of our interactions have been via messaging, but if it's alright, and you don't find it inappropriate... may I hug you?"

At first, Weiss wasn't sure if Pyrrha had really made the request, or if Weiss herself had imagined it being said. She stared up into those emerald eyes and blinked in confusion, but there was no mistaking the subtle eagerness in Pyrrha's gaze.

Weiss' family had never been one for much physical affection, even though Winter had been hugging her a bit more often recently. But Weiss had never known any embrace other than her sister's.

Her lips parted, but no sound came out. A strange feeling coiled at the top of her chest, and her fingers curled and uncurled subconsciously against Pyrrha's palms.

"Um... I..."

It didn't take a genius to realize Weiss had been made uncomfortable by the request. Pyrrha quickly shook her head and stepped up a little closer, until she'd found Weiss' shying gaze again.

"I'm sorry. I didn't really think to consider your feelings about it, Weiss. Don't worry about it! But we really should get going before we miss our reservation time! Do you know the way to the restaurant?"

Weiss' mind was still latched onto the question of the hug, and her indecision and lack of response had made her temporarily despondent. She shook her head, still trying to find the words she'd wanted to say.

But the time for them had come and gone, and Pyrrha's mind was set ahead, not behind.

"Then I'll lead the way, if that's alright! Would you like me to keep hold of your hand? This crowd is a little rowdy."

And though Weiss had missed her first opportunity, she made sure not to miss the second one.

"Yes, please. If you will."

Pyrrha's smile returned tenfold.

"Of course! Then please stay beside me, Weiss!"

Pyrrha let go of only one of Weiss' hands, but kept a loose hold on the other. Being a native of these parts, she knew her way around this cities even on foot and unescorted.

They still had a good amount of time before they'd need to check in for their reservation, so she didn't rush their pace at all.

Both of them were in rather formal clothes, and it wasn't exactly easy to walk in their shoes amongst a crowd at air ship rush hour.

Weiss stayed close to Pyrrha's side, her gaze alternating between staying trained ahead or dropping to the ground. But she made absolutely certain to never let go of Pyrrha's hand.

She was still trying to absorb it all, how she and Pyrrha had just met up for the first time like this, and yet it had felt as though they were old friends who'd been doing so for ages already. It just felt so natural, so comfortable.

Pyrrha made her feel as though she could just take all of her concerns and push them aside for the time being.

Weiss hadn't realized the smile that had crept onto her own lips as Pyrrha continued guiding her. They'd just gotten out of the bulk of the crowds at the platforms, and the activity and motion around them was beginning to die down a bit.

Weiss dared to focus on the girl at her side rather than where she was going.

She didn't notice the man rushing towards them in the crowd, carrying a large suitcase, clearly hurrying for the platform. His luggage scraped her leg as he passed, shouting out an apology over his shoulder as he hurried on. The impact had Weiss stumbling, yelping softly as her weight shifted and her knees buckled.

But no part of her ever touched the ground, save for the undersides of her shoes. Pyrrha gave a small, swift tug to her wrist and reached out with her free arm to catch the heiress around the waist, pulling her up to steady her.

"Weiss! Are you alright?"

Too embarrassed to meet her eyes directly, Weiss looked down and smoothed out her dress.

"Yes. I'm fine."

"That's a relief." Pyrrha's hand remained on her back, rubbing gently. "Some people don't look where they're going when they're in such a rush. I hope wherever he was going is important enough that he could afford to knock someone over."

To Weiss' surprise, Pyrrha's voice was filled with bitterness and perhaps even an ounce of resentment for the man who'd hit her. It was almost alarming to hear the champion who was typically so polite and well-mannered suddenly become angry at a random passerby.

But Weiss couldn't help but be flattered by it.

Because that meant Pyrrha cared for Weiss more than she cared for her reputation.

Weiss squeezed her companion's hand a little tighter, a grateful smile curling up on her lips.

"Thank you, Pyrrha."

Just like that, all the ill feelings Pyrrha had been plagued by vanished, and she returned to her cheerful self.

"Oh, not at all! I'm just glad you're okay! I don't know what I would've done if you'd gotten hurt."

Weiss had no response to that other than to bite her lip and look away.

"No need to worry. I'm fine, thanks to you."

Her words seemed to empower Pyrrha and rejuvenate her excitement.

"Then if you're sure you're alright, let's continue on our way, shall we?"

They started off once again. Pyrrha reached across herself to keep hold of Weiss' hand, and her other hand remained on Weiss' shoulders over her shawl. She hadn't really realized she'd kept it there, since it just felt like a natural way to be supporting a beautiful girl walking beside her.

But Weiss noticed the change. She noticed it a _lot_.

She'd been pulled in closer to Pyrrha's side now, so much so that she could feel her warmth very easily. Something told her that, had it been any other person on Remnant holding her like this, Weiss would have slipped away or pushed them off of her, depending.

But since it was Pyrrha, she found she really didn't mind.

They walked in this manner together, keeping close and comfortable as they followed the sidewalks leading to their destination.

When they finally arrived, Pyrrha didn't let go of her, and Weiss didn't ask her to.

They entered the restaurant and gave their names to the waiter at the indicated spot. His eyes widened as he realized who they were, and rechecked their names on the list before profusely apologizing that they would have to wait a few minutes.

The girls happily agreed and took a seat on a cushioned bench in the waiting area. Only then, after they'd stopped needing to walk and talk, did Pyrrha realize where her hands were.

"Oh! Weiss, I'm so sorry! You should have said something!"

To Weiss' indescribable dismay, Pyrrha let her go and withdrew her hands into her own lap. The singer reached for them back and took them in her own.

"Pyrrha, please. I didn't want to say anything. Because... I didn't mind at all." She managed to muster up the courage to look directly into her eyes as she said as much. The time for timidness was over, and she didn't want Pyrrha to feel as though she'd overstepped boundaries, especially boundaries that didn't even exist.

The panic in those deep green eyes began to fade as they met with crystal blue.

"Are... Are you sure? I'm sorry. I know we've only just met a few times in person, but I just-"

"Pyrrha." Weiss smiled and squeezed her hands. "It is _completely_ fine. I assure you."

Relief filled her eyes now, and Pyrrha's tense shoulders went lax.

"Thank goodness..."

"Please don't worry about it." Weiss maintained her smile, glancing down at the small space between the two of them. Clearing her throat, she got her companion to follow her gaze. "Then... may I?"

Pyrrha nodded right away and opened up her arm again.

"Of course! By all means!"

"Thank you."

Weiss slid in the final inch to press herself close to Pyrrha's side, resting her cheek lightly against the champion's shoulder.

Pyrrha, who'd just been fretting to the point of alarm, was now nearly bursting with joy. She draped her arm gently over Weiss' back and shoulders, letting her lean more of her weight onto her side.

They'd chatted enough on their scrolls over the weeks to get close mentally. But this was the first time they could cover physical space.

Even though they had only met a couple of times in person, they'd met many, many more times in texts, calls, and videos. They may have only been formally acquainted a few weeks ago, but they'd known each other for much, much longer.

And now they could let it show.

For each of them, this was the same girl she'd spoken with nearly ever day and night for several weeks now. They both seemed to come to the realization at the same time, that there was nothing to worry about.

They were already close intellectually – tonight was the night for an intimate physical proximity.

In a way, it was unfortunate for them how quickly their names were called; they both would've liked to perhaps skip the meal altogether and just sit there like that on the bench. But they separated only as much as necessary and stood before following the waiter to their table.

There, they sat on opposite ends, the farthest apart they'd been all evening since they'd met up, but it was a proper distance for this formal environment.

They were both sure to act as the refined young women they were supposed to be now that they were here. Backs straight, shoulders stiff, chins high, they looked over the menus and placed their orders for drinks.

Weiss didn't even realize when or how she and Pyrrha had delved into conversation yet again. It was such an effortless transition that neither paid its process any mind. They talked about anything and everything, from their favorite kinds of food, to their daily activities, and even as far as their family lives.

Pyrrha had a lot of wonderful things to say about her family, but Weiss mainly kept to speaking about Winter when that topic arose.

As they ate, they got to praising one another.

Weiss admitted how much she loved Pyrrha's advanced fighting style and admired her agility, flexibility, and quick wit in the arena.

Pyrrha made a comeback by praising Weiss' music, the air of sophistication she always gave off, and how she could change and fluctuate the volumes and tones of her voice during a song.

It almost became like a small, polite argument of who could praise who more.

They talked for nearly two hours, even after they'd finished eating and had been given the bill.

That was a new topic to discuss, and both girls earnestly insisted they be the one to pay.

But ultimately, they just ended up laughing merrily and split the cost as evenly as possible.

By the time they'd stepped out of the restaurant, twilight had fallen. Each girl used her scroll to send for their respective air ships to pick them up at the platforms, then they began walking.

Pyrrha put her arm around Weiss' shawl, and the heiress leaned into her with ease.

They'd gotten so used to one another this evening. They'd talked, laughed, shared secrets and bashful glances. Each had hidden her fair share of blushes, and been caught pink-faced as well.

But there was no awkwardness left between them, no nervousness, no distance, be it physical or otherwise. They were as close as two people who'd known one another since childhood would be.

They savored the evening breeze as they sauntered back through the city, bound for the air ships. As they walked, Pyrrha pulled Weiss a little closer to her.

"It's almost strange," she said, still smiling. "We've only just met not too long ago, and this was the first evening we've spent together... and yet I feel as though I've known you for years, Weiss."

"It's the same for me." Weiss slipped her arm across the small of Pyrrha's back. "But you know... it's true, isn't it? We've known _about_ each other for a long time. It's just that recently we've actually gotten _to know_ each other."

Pyrrha's eyes sparked with clarity at the way Weiss had worded it.

"Yes, you're absolutely right! That's it! And somehow, I feel as though we've shared two lifetimes with each other in just as many hours tonight. It was wonderful. I'd love to do it again sometime, preferably as soon as possible when it's convenient for you."

"I would too," Weiss agreed. "Whenever it's convenient for you, Pyrrha."

"Well then, it shouldn't be too difficult to arrange our next date! We can discuss details later on our calls just like before! And I'll be sure to send you another ticket to my next match – free of charge!"

"I was just going to say the same thing. I'll send you a ticket for my next concert."

"Wonderful!" Pyrrha laughed and hugged Weiss to her side.

They soon entered the ship docks which were much less busy now. They glanced at their respective terminals and realized their ships were already waiting for them.

Weiss' heart started to pound again, and she went stiff as the realization that they'd have to leave each other crashed over her.

"I don't want you to go..." she murmured, mostly to herself.

But Pyrrha had heard her and replied softly.

"I don't want you to go either, Weiss. But I'll call you as soon as I get home and we can start planning our next date right away! We'll see each other again soon, don't you worry!"

Weiss refused to allow herself to be dejected. Pyrrha was right. They'd be together again before long. So she smiled and let Pyrrha's positivity rub off on herself.

"Right. And if I'll still get to message you every day, waiting won't be so bad."

"It definitely won't!"

They let go of one another, only to grasp each other's hands. Crystal blue me forest green, and mirrored smiles reflected below. Pyrrha sighed a little sadly.

"Even if we can text and call each other... I'll still miss you until the next time I can see you in person."

"I will, too."

Another beat of silence passed, and the whirring of the air ships' engines seemed to intrude on them. But Weiss didn't want to leave Pyrrha without one last request.

"Pyrrha...?"

The young champion titled her head curiously.

"Yes, Weiss?"

The heiress hesitated. She took a deep breath, and from the bottom of it, she found her resolve.

"I think I'd like that hug now."

Pyrrha's eyes sparkled with an incomparable brilliance. She didn't waste a second.

"Oh, Weiss! I'm so happy!"

She threw her arms around the girl's shoulders and pulled Weiss in close.

The heiress didn't care if anyone else saw them. She returned the embrace full-force, squeezing Pyrrha's back tightly as their cheeks brushed together. Pyrrha gave a tiny bounce of merriment. Then, her hands slid up to Weiss' shoulders and she pushed herself back slowly, seeking her eyes once more.

"Weiss...?"

She sounded much more timid than she had mere seconds ago. Her expression had changed as well, into one Weiss had never seen on her before. Now it was _Pyrrha Nikos_ who was nervous.

Weiss squeezed her hands.

"What is it?"

Pyrrha's eyes were suddenly bouncing all around as though following the path of a ping-pong ball, her eyelashes fluttering.

"I was... I was just wondering... if it would be all right... to kiss you?"

Silence fell. Even the engines of the ships seemed to quiet down to an unimportant hum.

Weiss felt her jaw drop ever so slightly, and her heart rate doubled at least.

But she didn't need to think about her answer. She knew what she wanted.

Weiss dipped her chin in the tiniest of nods. Pyrrha perked up slightly.

"I-Is that a yes? I'm sorry, I just... I want to be sure."

Weiss inhaled and drew up her voice.

"Yes. Yes, Pyrrha."

Her face felt about as warm as Pyrrha's looked.

"Okay. Then if you're sure..."

Pyrrha's hands squeezed her shawl and shoulders, bracing them both. Locks of her crimson hair slipped over the front of her collar as she leaned forward and down.

Weiss didn't want to miss a second of it, but as she drew nearer, she simply had to close her eyes. She forgot how to breathe, and had it not been for Pyrrha's hands keeping her steady, she might've forgotten how to stand as well. Weiss could smell her perfume, faintly feel the warmth of her breath.

And then the contact was made.

Warm and soft.

On her cheek.

Weiss held her breath, swallowed, and savored it for as long as she could before Pyrrha pulled away.

The champion didn't know why, but she apologized.

"S-Sorry..."

Weiss blinked up at her with a newfound resolve.

"Pyrrha..." Her heart was soaring, and it boosted her confidence beyond limits. "I know it's only the first date, but... please forgive me."

She reached up and looped her arms around Pyrrha's neck, drawing her down closer as Weiss herself strained a bit on her toes.

And she kissed her full on the lips.

She knew what she wanted.

She knew it was what Pyrrha wanted, too.

The small squeak that was released into her mouth confirmed as much.

Pyrrha kissed her back instantly, her arms locking around the small of Weiss' back.

She was too happy for words.

She lifted Weiss up, spun her once, let her back down, then kissed her again.

They kissed and laughed and kissed some more, until they were both too breathless to continue.

They parted that evening knowing the next date would be even better.

* * *

 **A/N: You can't be moving too fast if you're already at the destination you want!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	4. Simple Solutions

**Weiss and Pyrrha are in the beginning stages of a rather risky relationship. How will they make this work?**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 4. Simple Solutions

Weiss hardly slept the night after her first date with Pyrrha.

Even after she'd arrived home and had showered, changed clothes, and allowed the exhaustion of the long day to catch up to her, she couldn't bring herself to sleep just yet.

Firstly, she needed to report back to her father about how the evening had gone, though she made sure to leave out certain details. All she told him was that it had been successful enough for Pyrrha to ask to arrange a second meet-up.

Naturally, since he wanted them to become close for the sake of the benefits their combined reputations would bring, he was rather pleased, enough so to offer a flash of a smile. As far as he knew, Weiss and Pyrrha were becoming close friends.

But of course, they were already much closer than that.

She was dismissed from his office, and as soon as she was out of his sight, she scurried down the hallways and up the stairs to her room. There, she dug out her scroll and all but jumped to lay down onto her bed, bouncing slightly on her mattress.

Pyrrha had said she would text first when she arrived home, since her flight was a little bit longer. Therefore, as she waited, Weiss texted Winter of the success of her date tonight, but again, didn't go into great detail.

Winter's response told her how pleased she was as well, but it was a much more genuine delight than their father's.

They texted for a short while, with Winter wondering how things had gone and Weiss responding with conversations she'd had with Pyrrha. Then her scroll buzzed as she received the text from Pyrrha:

 _ **I'm home now! And I had a grand time with you tonight, Weiss! I can't wait to do it again sometime soon!**_

Weiss replied with just as much enthusiasm.

 _ **I had a wonderful time as well! I can't wait to see you again, Pyrrha!**_

And then came the second reason why she was unable to sleep that night.

She kept texting Pyrrha for a while afterward, reminiscing on the events of the evening together with her, discussing dates for their next respective performances, and pondering new places they could go out to eat together.

But neither had the courage to talk about the kisses yet, nor the fact that they both knew what that meant for their relationship.

A few hours past midnight, Weiss felt herself fading and texted Pyrrha one last goodnight message.

But even after she'd put her scroll aside, she couldn't fall asleep. She just kept thinking about everything that had transpired that evening, particularly their parting. Her heart refused to calm down, the tightness in her chest never unwound, and her mind couldn't stop buzzing like a hornet's nest. She tossed and turned for another hour at least, trying to get ahold of herself.

 _If I make things too obvious, I'll have no choice but to tell Father or Winter what really happened between us. And I'm not sure I can bring myself to do that just yet..._

She couldn't allow herself to be so obvious tomorrow around others.

Though she was fretting quite a lot that night, a good part of her was also overwhelmed with a giddiness she'd never felt before in all her life.

She'd always had plenty of opportunities in her life to experience a combination of emotions. The time preceding her concerts often provoked anxiety and anticipation, or before seeing her father it would be fear and uncertainty. Of course, something like the prospect of being able to see Winter often sparked joy and excitement.

But never before had Weiss felt _this_ particular combination.

It was excitement and fear put together.

She knew she wanted to be with Pyrrha, and she knew Pyrrha wanted to be with her as well. At least, that's what tonight's endeavor had implied to her.

But she was scared about it, scared what it might do to their reputations or personal lives, scared how her father might react, let alone the media.

Weiss knew the life of a celebrity. She'd seen it a million times. The paparazzi never let them sleep, let alone _date_ someone without trying to create some kind of scandal out of it.

Thinking about it all in hindsight was terrifying, and she tossed over again and buried her face in her pillow.

 _No. It won't be like that. It can't..._

She just tried to remember Pyrrha's smile, the feeling of her hand on her shoulders, the warmth of her lips...

At last, Weiss managed to fall asleep, temporarily pushing the worries to the back of her mind.

* * *

She was rather lethargic and a bit distracted in her lessons the few following days.

But thankfully, she didn't let it show so much that it roused the suspicions of her tutors or her father.

However, her older sister was another story.

Winter stopped by the mansion to visit on her day off that week and brought Weiss outside once more for some summoning practice. But Weiss was far too flustered and had too many things on her mind to be able to focus.

Presently, she was putting in her full effort to cast the spiraling glyph on the ground, pouring as much concentration into it as she could. Winter was watching her with calculating eyes.

"Good," she called out. "But not good enough."

Weiss grit her teeth.

 _Focus..._

But the more she tried to aim her thoughts at the task at hand, the more it seemed her heart directed her mind elsewhere. She heard Pyrrha's merry laughter in the back of her head, saw her smile, felt her lips-

"Ah!"

With a gasp, she stumbled back as the glyph repulsed her and faded out of view. Using Myrtenaster as a crutch, Weiss flinched as she imagined the disapproval in her sister's gaze.

Winter approached briskly, and Weiss could more or less hear the annoyance in her pace. She braced herself as she felt Winter's hand on her shoulder, turning her around to face her.

"What was that?"

Weiss avoided her gaze at all costs.

"I'm sorry! I just couldn't maintain it."

"I don't care about the _glyph_ , you fool! Are you hurt?" The vehemence in her voice was only invoked by her concern.

Weiss hesitantly looked up into her gaze to find Winter was more worried than angry.

"No. I'm fine."

Winter looked her over to check for herself before she was satisfied enough to accept her sister's answer.

"All right. Good." She let go of Weiss, returning her hands to fold behind her back in their trademark military position. "Now then, care to tell me why that execution was so sloppy? You can't afford to be shirking your training, Weiss. I shouldn't have to tell you that recently the White Fang have been getting rowdier by the day. You need to learn how to defend yourself properly."

"I know." Weiss hung her head in dejection, feeling sick at the mention of the radical group that had been posing threats to her family for generations.

Winter looked her over once again before she sighed.

"Tell me what's the matter." Her tone softened, and she reached out once more to touch Weiss' shoulder.

It reminded Weiss of the _last_ time someone had touched her there.

Fidgeting a bit, she lifted her gaze once more.

"Well... Winter... it's about Pyrrha..."

Her sister didn't seem terribly surprised for some reason.

"Oh? _Is_ it now? Didn't you say your evening together went well? Whatever could be causing you to lose focus like this?" A slight glint in her eyes told Weiss her sister already knew the answer.

Still, the heiress checked their surroundings to ensure they were completely alone before she replied softly.

"Well, we really did have a wonderful evening together. I don't want to tell Father or anyone else yet, but... at the end, when we left one another..." She stopped.

Winter tapped her shoulder to encourage her to continue. Weiss felt her face warming up as she inhaled a shaky breath and wheezed the rest of her sentence.

"Pyrrha and I... kissed..."

Silence.

She stared wide-eyed up at her older sister, fearing she might explode with anger or smack her upside the head – or worse – run off to inform their father immediately.

Winter had been preparing herself to hear many things come out of Weiss' lips then. Perhaps that she and the champion had hugged, made plans for their next date, or shared secrets with one another.

But she hadn't at all been expecting a _kiss_.

Despite her line of work and her professional stature, Winter's jaw dropped when she heard the truth. She was flabbergasted.

Weiss forgot how to breathe for a moment as she waited for some kind of reaction. The silence was starting to weigh down on her chest to the point of threatening to splinter her ribs, and she just had to say something.

"I realize it might've been a bit uncouth, with it only being our first date and all, but really we've known each other for much longer than that, Winter. I mean, she... she didn't refuse-"

But the babbling didn't seem to be doing her any good, and she abruptly stopped, not wanting to embarrass herself further.

Winter blinked again, still too shocked for words. So she did something else instead.

She laughed.

Weiss could count on one hand how many times she'd heard her sister laugh. Her choice of lifestyle wasn't exactly one that dealt with humorous events, after all, and she wasn't one to show her enjoyment in front of just anyone.

Weiss didn't know how to react. She almost feared it was bitter laughter, or that Winter would jeer at her.

But when she saw the smile on her sister's lips and the sparkle in her eyes, all of Weiss' fears vanished.

"Oh, Weiss," Winter patted her shoulder again. "You don't need to justify yourself to me. I've no issue at all with how you feel for the champion. But you said she didn't refuse you? So are you telling me _you_ were the one to make the big move?"

It was Weiss' turn to be baffled by her sister's reaction. Winter was... actually happy for her?

"Um... well, _kind_ of..."

"Weiss, either you did or you didn't. Now give me the details." She motioned Weiss to follow her over to a small table on the veranda, declaring they needed a break from all the training anyway.

It only took a bit of verbal prodding for Winter to get her sister to open up about the events of a few evenings ago.

Weiss had been dying to tell someone what had happened between Pyrrha and herself, so it was a relief to finally be able to get it off her chest.

Winter listened to everything she had to say, trying to keep her expression serious. But the smile just kept twitching on her lips and reappearing, particularly whenever Weiss started to get bashful.

At one point, Weiss knew she was already in deep enough now, so she decided to go all-out and ask Winter for advice.

"What can I do? I still want to... maintain that level of our relationship with her the next time I see her, which should be next week... But I don't know what to do about Father, or the rest of Remnant, for that matter. People have already seen us together, and if it becomes a frequent affair, people are going to catch on. I just... don't want Father to hear about it the wrong way, but I don't know the _right_ way to tell him."

Addressing her father on more significant matters had always been one of Weiss' greatest struggles in life. Winter knew that, and she knew from experience just how intimidating it could be to speak with him alone.

"I have a theory," she began. "You're the first out of the two of us to face this dilemma with Father, so unfortunately I can't speak from experience to assist you. But I think there's a simple solution to all of this."

Weiss perked up and leaned forward attentively, a hopeful glimmer in her eyes. Winter continued.

"I know you often need to do a lot of the work yourself in most situations. But for this one, just let Remnant do its job. News and the media will begin to catch on, and it won't be long before Father catches wind of it. When he confronts you about it, simply tell him the truth. I highly doubt it'd be a development he wouldn't like. After all, this is the heiress to Schnee Dust and the renown Pyrrha Nikos we're talking about."

The more Winter said, and the more Weiss processed it, her suggestion made more and more sense.

"Alright. I'll do as you say then, Winter."

"Don't set it in stone," she advised. "If something comes up and it feels best to change things up, follow your instincts. But until then, your secret is safe with me, Weiss."

The heiress nodded.

"Thank you, Winter. Thank you so much. For everything. Without you, I wouldn't even have gotten to meet her when I did. Thank you."

"No need." She waved her gloved hand dismissively. "Now then, I've got to head back to base soon, so let's practice your technique a little more."

With the weight of hers and Pyrrha's secret relationship finally lifted a bit now, Weiss was able to focus on her training a lot more effectively.

A short while later, Winter took her leave, but not before Weiss embraced her tightly.

Winter kissed her head and wished her the best of luck with Pyrrha.

* * *

Weiss began to look forward to the evenings after her daily lessons were over with. Which was a bit odd for her; she'd never really had many events to look forward to, and she'd _certainly_ never had something every single day.

But Pyrrha's texts and messages were always waiting for her at the end of the day, and Weiss would indulge herself as soon as she was finished with her assignments. Conversing with Pyrrha was her motivation to get her work done, as well as her reward for accomplishing such tasks.

They talked every evening without missing one, and as the days that would lead to their next rendezvous drew nearer, the anticipation only built up higher and higher.

Before Weiss knew it, she was waking in bed on Saturday morning, all but springing up from her mattress in her eagerness to get changed and prepare herself for today's date.

She and Pyrrha had decided to see one another a bit earlier than last time, and rather than a fancy restaurant, their destination for today would be for a much more casual meet-up. Instead of dresses and shawls and formal shoes, the girls dressed themselves in skirts and blouses and comfortable boots. They even sent pictures of their outfits to one another to get some feedback. Naturally, all each of them had to say about the other was nothing but compliments.

Before long, they'd both boarded their respective ships, and continued texting during their flights. They would be meeting in the same spot as last time, in Mistral, so Pyrrha was closest to their meet-up spot. By the time she texted Weiss that she'd arrived, Weiss was still on her ship. Weiss texted her a quick apology.

 _ **I'm sorry for the delay! I guess I left a little late. I'll be there soon!**_

To which Pyrrha replied almost instantly: _**Not at all! Please don't worry about it, Weiss! You're not tardy. I just left far too early because I was so excited!**_

Her message both relieved Weiss enough to make her realize that she wasn't late, and it made her immensely happy that Pyrrha had been excited enough about today to leave so early. Weiss sent her another message:

 _ **I was planning to leave earlier as well. Now I wish I had.**_

 _ **Don't worry!**_ Pyrrha replied. **_I'll be here when you land!_**

Thankfully, neither of them had to wait much longer for that. Weiss' ship landed not five minutes later, and after ensuring her purse was secure on her shoulder and calling a quick thanks to the pilot, she hurried off the ship.

The landing docks were busy at this time of day on a weekend, so Weiss was preparing herself to hurry through the crowds to find Pyrrha waiting at the terminals where Weiss had waited last time. But to her immediate surprise and delight, she spotted a familiar crimson-haired girl waving at her just a few yards away.

"Weiss!" she called out. "Over here!"

"Pyrrha!"

With a joyful cry of her name, Weiss rushed to her. Pyrrha opened up her arms invitingly, as though they'd been dating for months, rather than having shared a few kisses on the night of their first date.

But neither seemed to mind how quickly their romance had escalated.

Pyrrha wasn't hesitant to offer hugs this time, and Weiss certainly wasn't hesitant to accept them.

Once she was near enough, she gave a small bound, like an excited child, and threw her arms around the other girl. Pyrrha caught her expertly, squeezing her with a gentle firmness as she peppered small kisses all along Weiss' temple and through her hair.

"It's so grand to be able to see you again! I'm so excited!"

"Me, too..."

The short run combined with the enthrallment was making her breathless, but her heart was soaring higher than ever before.

Pyrrha noticed she was panting slightly. She drew Weiss aside a bit, out of plain sight of the passerby, and curled her fingers up beneath the singer's chin. Although she was quite sure of where she and Weiss stood now in terms of their relationship, she couldn't help but resort to asking permission.

"May I kiss you?"

Weiss' response was to squeeze her tighter, guiding her down.

"Oh, please do."

With a small giggle of delight, she did just that.

Confidently, Pyrrha kissed her lips this time. It was only the second time they'd done so, and the first time, it had been Weiss who'd initiated.

This time, it was the other way around, and the heiress resorted to kissing back. Pyrrha's lips were soft, but burned with a subtle ferventness. A desire to do this that had been kindling for many days. A longing to continue kissing her for many days to come.

With the crowds still bustling around them, and the thrill of their date still swirling in the air, the kiss was the eye of the tornado. All other noises seemed to mute themselves for a moment, their sights faded with their vision as they closed their eyes.

The only scent was each other's.

The only taste was of her lips.

The only feelings were her hands, her warmth, and her breath.

Weiss sang for a living. She had no trouble whatsoever utilizing her strong, capable lungs during their kisses. Just because Pyrrha was a bit taller didn't necessarily mean she had greater strength than the singer. It was she who pulled away a moment later, her hands still braced on either of Weiss' hips, her cheeks coated in a healthy blush.

"I'm... so happy to see you, Weiss." She said as much as though her eyes and kisses didn't already explain it.

Weiss' breath hadn't been fazed by the kiss at all. She strained up to peck Pyrrha's cheek once.

"I'm very happy to see you too, Pyrrha."

Another giggle. "You're quite skilled at holding your breath for so long! You'll have to teach me how you do it! But perhaps, not right now. I'll need a few minutes to recover!"

Her lighthearted comment earned a soft laugh from Weiss.

She still had trouble believing it. That the girl she'd admired from afar all her life was now standing right in front of her, in her arms, fantasizing about future kisses.

It really was like a dream come true for Weiss.

And the fact that Pyrrha returned her feelings wholeheartedly only made it seem even more fantastical.

But another small peck to her temple roused Weiss from her reverie, and just went to prove Pyrrha's affections for her.

"Well then," Pyrrha mused as her hand found a comfortable grip on Weiss'. "Shall we be off, then?"

Weiss curled her fingers around Pyrrha's and nodded.

"We shall."

"Great! It will be rather nice today since we won't have to rush in order to fulfill a reservation on time. We can go at our own pace! If I remember correctly, you're free until evening, right?"

"Yes. And I think it's the same for you?"

"Yes! So we've got several hours until then! We should try to do as many of the things we'd discussed as possible! Are you up for it?"

Weiss presented her with a private smile.

"Yes. Let's do as much as we can together here."

"Then we shouldn't waste any time! Come with me!"

Keeping a warm grip on Weiss' hand, Pyrrha began to guide her through the crowds.

As she followed, Weiss took a moment to admire Pyrrha's more casual clothing, which consisted of a flowing skirt and shirt that didn't constrict her as much as the everyday armor or special occasions attire. Her clothes today were of autumn-like colors, and simply looking at them gave Weiss a warm, pleasant feeling.

But Pyrrha only walked ahead of Weiss for as long as was necessary, until they'd slipped out of the crowds. From there, she seemed to be consciously ensuring that she keep pace beside her.

Due to her line of work, Pyrrha was more physically fit than Weiss, and her taller stature promised a longer stride by nature. But she was very certain never to walk too quickly or to tug on Weiss' hand. The heiress made note of that and took it to heart.

Of course she knew today's date wasn't a business venture, but in the past when she'd been required to meet with people, she was often made to follow them around. Or, _she_ would be the one giving directions or tours.

This was the first time Weiss could ever remembering walking beside someone as an equal.

Even so, she did her best to compensate for her smaller pace by making it a bit quicker, so they could both stay together as they walked down the side streets of Mistral.

Pyrrha soon began telling her about each of the buildings they passed by, how long it had been there, who used to own it and who owned it now, as well as the more intimate tidbits of history she knew about the area.

Weiss listened attentively, absorbing the new information that only a native could provide. No textbook or lecture could ever possibly be as interesting and engaging as seeing the real things for herself and hearing the lessons from the lips of someone who'd lived there for most of her life.

At one point, Pyrrha seemed to realize she was carrying on a bit. She stopped Weiss sheepishly on a sidewalk and cleared her throat.

"I'm so sorry, Weiss. I didn't mean to go off rambling like that. I hope I didn't bore you." Her eyes were downcast, fearing she'd already made a blunder when their time together had barely just begun.

But Weiss quickly shook her head, reaching down to grasp both of Pyrrha's hands in hers.

"Not at all! I was enjoying it very much, Pyrrha. I've been to Mistral plenty of times before, but I've never been able to actually _see_ it for myself. I've only ever seen the towns from above, and then I'd just sing at a concert and be flown back to Atlas... I _want_ to hear more about it. And there's no one else on Remnant I'd rather hear it from."

Pyrrha's gaze lifted, and her spirits went along with it.

"Oh, do you really mean it, Weiss? That makes me so happy!" She returned the gentle grip on her hands, bringing one of Weiss' to her lips for an appreciative kiss. "Then, if you're certain I won't bore you, I'll tell you a few other things as we go. But first, let's stop in for some lunch! I know just the place!"

With a smile on her face, Weiss kept pace beside her, crossing the streets and passing the quaint little buildings until Pyrrha brought them to a halt outside of a shop that looked to be both a bakery and a cafe combined. She led her inside, and instantly, Weiss' senses were awakened.

The lighting in the place was gentle, the colors were calming, the sounds of the radio were relaxing, and the tastes that were already hitting the roof of her mouth were impeccable. But overall, the strongest was the scent of freshly-baked bread and newly-poured cups of coffee.

Pyrrha led her to the line of people inside, urging Weiss to look over the menu choices that were written on a board behind the counter. She made recommendations of foods and drink flavors for Weiss to try, clearly thrilled to have someone she could finally share all of this with.

Now that they were standing still indoors rather than walking down the streets outside, people began to notice them. Rather, they began to notice _who_ they were, standing together, holding hands.

There were murmurs at first, then a few people who came up excitedly asking for autographs on notebooks or napkins or whatever they could find.

While one of the famous girls in public without her bodyguards may have caused a bit of a stir, _both_ of these well-known prodigies nearly caused a scene.

Pyrrha politely signed away the autographs as quickly as she could, regretting that all of the attention had forced her to let go of Weiss' hand. The heiress was also entertaining questions as swiftly as possible to satisfy her own fans.

Both girls answered questions and accepted autograph requests, but politely declined photo requests, be it together, or with their fans.

Of course, they both knew that people were snapping shots in secrecy from their seats, and the news of their being together at some little cafe in Mistral was probably already all over the online networks.

As the satisfied crowds gradually left them alone, Pyrrha wasted no time in finding Weiss' hand again. Weiss tensed a little bit, keeping her voice low.

"Is all of this okay with you, Pyrrha? That people will find out this way?"

The champion reassured her with a confident tone.

"It's absolutely fine with me, Weiss. So long as it's fine with you."

They'd discussed this briefly in their previous calls and conversations. They'd been expecting this kind of reaction from the public, and now they were in the midst of it. But they'd both opted to accept it sooner rather than later.

"This way," Pyrrha reminded her. "Our relationship will be known right away. Better to get it out there sooner while it's fresh and genuine rather than later when people might think we've been hiding an affair, right?" She chuckled at the thought. "As if I'd ever need to have an affair. How could I ever possibly ask for anything more than what I've found in you?"

Her words were nothing but genuine, and perhaps that heartfelt quality of them was what made Weiss' chest tighten. She looked away, if only to hide the tears that were threatening to rise up, but she made sure to squeeze Pyrrha's hand to show she'd heard every word.

A minute later, they were at the front counter, and Weiss quickly composed herself enough to place her order. Pyrrha did the same, and the staff soon put their respective orders of sandwiches, snacks, and coffees on the counter and read them the total price.

Weiss immediately fished out her credit card, but Pyrrha covered her hand.

"Please," she insisted. "Let me pay. It's no trouble at all."

Weiss bit her lip.

"But you didn't let me treat you last time."

They were silent for a moment.

Both girls faced the same dilemma; they wanted to treat the other, but also wanted to cover the cost of their own food. But since both of them were offering to buy, it would be rude to refuse, especially when they were both more than capable of paying for the entire shop, let alone a bit of food.

But luckily, Weiss' mind was still working as quickly as ever, and she offered a solution.

"Then how about I pay for your part, and you pay for mine? This way we're technically still treating one another."

Pyrrha's face lit up as her grin returned.

"That's a wonderful idea! Perfect!"

So they did just that, each covering the cost of the other's portion of food, which ended up being about the same for both of them.

It was the first time Weiss had eaten at a cafe alone with someone her own age. In fact, she couldn't remember _ever_ eating at a public place so casually with anyone. It was more than a little strange trying to get herself used to the carefree atmosphere, especially for a girl who was almost constantly stressed out every other waking moment of her days.

But Pyrrha made relaxing easy.

As Weiss tried and failed to recall the last time she'd ever eaten anything without using utensils, Pyrrha was chattering pleasantly, again elaborating on the history of different parts of Mistral.

Weiss cut in occasionally with a question, or to boast about her own knowledge of a particular subject. Pyrrha was always impressed whenever Weiss showed she knew something that ordinary people probably didn't know about.

The atmosphere was very different from that of the restaurant they'd been to previously, and now that they'd already established a relationship, things were much more natural between them.

While Weiss got used to holding a sandwich and eating with her hands, Pyrrha grew accustomed to conversing with someone her own age and of the same intelligence level as herself.

Even after they'd both finished their food, they remained in the cafe, chatting and laughing the time away. After a while, Pyrrha remembered they were on a date of sorts, and that they shouldn't just be staying inside the whole while. So she stood and offered Weiss her hand, giving a smile that could making any heart skip.

Unashamedly, Weiss accepted, no longer caring for the eyes of the public.

They exited the cafe and continued their leisurely walk around town.

They entered little shops, places their parents and agents never would have allowed them to venture into due to the cheapness of the products.

But Weiss found that the price of any item didn't necessarily demonstrate its value. She found many little trinkets and knick-knacks that caught her eye, and Pyrrha took note of every single one of them.

Once they'd visited close to a dozen shops, Pyrrha guided Weiss instead towards the source of the salty sea breeze.

They took a small ferry tour around the gulf beside town.

Weiss had only ever been on cruises before, and even those had been few and far between. Pyrrha was sure to brief her on the protocol, but most importantly of all, she made sure Weiss enjoyed herself.

The heiress felt a little queasy at first, but once Pyrrha steadied her with a warm hand on her back and urged her to look out over the dazzling blue water, Weiss got lost in the sights and smells of the ocean.

Only once Pyrrha was certain Weiss was enjoying herself did she do the same.

The tour lasted close to an hour before bringing them back to land. As soon as Weiss had adjusted to walking on solid ground again, Pyrrha led her to the local park.

With their collective pace set at a comfortable saunter, they followed the little dirt path. The grass was very green this time of year, and all around them, people were running through the open fields playing with dogs or shouting happily in sports games.

The girls paused for a moment on a bench beside a playground, where children's squeals filled the air.

Even as they sat there, however, Pyrrha noticed Weiss' stiff posture, which was like that by nature. She herself could easily lean back against the bench, but Weiss was always as poised and professional as possible. She probably didn't even notice it herself.

Therefore, with a very subtle grip of fingers around her wrist, Pyrrha gently tugged Weiss back a few inches, until her posture had slouched slightly and her back leaned against Pyrrha's shoulder.

Pyrrha's message was clear: _you can relax around me._

So Weiss did her best, intentionally allowing her posture to slouch for the first time in years as she eased back onto the support of the bench and Pyrrha's arm. She kept her eyes trained on the peaceful scenery before her, and spoke softly.

"I can't believe it's already been over three hours."

Behind her, Pyrrha sighed, not unhappily.

"I know. We did a lot today! I really hope you had a good time."

Weiss tilted her chin and tried to look up at her.

"I did, Pyrrha. There's no doubt that this was the most fun I've had in... well, for as long as I can remember, to be quite honest."

"You flatter me."

"Not at all."

They smiled at one another, and Pyrrha couldn't resist leaning down to steal a kiss to her cheek. Weiss relaxed her posture even more against her and closed her eyes for a moment.

It was still hard to believe all of this. She'd never felt so relaxed before, so safe, so _happy_...

And it had all happened with Pyrrha Nikos, the only person outside the family she'd ever admired so deeply.

Weiss still had trouble believing Pyrrha felt the same way about her. She feared the champion might wake one day and decide this was all a mistake.

The singer must have lost her smile as she thought about it, because Pyrrha nudged her softly, coaxing Weiss to open her eyes.

"Weiss? Is something the matter?" Pyrrha's expression had become hesitant now, her eyes wavering. "I hope it's not because of... what I said earlier..."

Sensing her discomfort, Weiss pulled herself back a little so she may look into her eyes directly.

"Nothing's wrong," she assured, finding Pyrrha's hands. "Pyrrha, today was the _best_ day of my life. How could anything possibly be wrong?"

She attempted another smile, feeling a warmth behind her eyes. Lifting Pyrrha's hands to her lips, Weiss kissed them both with a tenderness Pyrrha had never known before. She sighed, and Weiss didn't miss the way it trembled.

"It makes me so happy to hear you say that, Weiss. Especially after what I said before... I've been worried this whole time it might've been upsetting you."

Weiss met her eyes calmly.

"Pyrrha, I don't even know what you're referring to. Nothing at all you've done today has bothered me in the slightest. I assure you."

She saw the relief work its way into Pyrrha's eyes.

"Oh, thank goodness. I've been worrying..."

"About what, exactly?"

Pyrrha kept silent for a moment, flashing her gaze almost guiltily into Weiss'.

"Back at the cafe... what I'd said... 'how could I ever possibly ask for anything more than what I've found in you?' I didn't realize it at the time, but it really was a hefty statement. And you didn't respond to me after that. I was afraid I'd overstepped my boundaries and offended or hurt you. I understood after I'd said it how much pressure such a statement could probably weigh on your shoulders, and I don't want you feeling like that."

Her gaze dropped to the grass. "I don't want you thinking we... rushed into this. I mean, I know we sort of did, or at least it feels that way. But just because we got... _together_ in such a seemingly brief amount of time, I don't want you thinking that makes my feelings superficial or short-termed."

She lifted her eyes again, and they nearly took Weiss' breath away. Weiss couldn't recall ever seeing so much honesty in a single person's gaze before in all her life.

Pyrrha squeezed her hands earnestly. "I really _do_ like you, Weiss. I don't want anything to come between us. Especially not something foolish I said myself. So please... if it bothers you, _please_ let me know. If _anything_ I ever do or say bothers you, let me know right away, okay?"

She was so genuine in her concern for Weiss. Pyrrha truly cared.

Weiss could feel her own tears beginning to drip down, but before Pyrrha could get the wrong idea, she leaned forward, wrapped her arms around her, and buried her face in the girl's shoulder.

"I will, Pyrrha. Promise. And you'll do the same, won't you?"

Gentle hands covered Weiss' back, and she felt another kiss on her cheek.

"I will, Weiss. I promise, too."

Weiss bit her lip, doing her best to swallow back the little sobs threatening to become audible. Pyrrha pulled her in closer.

"Weiss? Are you crying?"

The heiress sighed. Caught red-handed.

She nodded, sniffling softly in her arms.

"But it's... it's not bad, Pyrrha. In fact I think it's... it's the first time it's ever been _good_..."

Hearing those words made Pyrrha just as joyful, also to the point of tears. She smiled again, pressing herself as close to Weiss as physics would allow.

"I'm so glad, Weiss. I'm _so_ glad..."

For a few moments, they didn't move.

From anyone else's perspective, they were simply another couple enjoying a warm day at the park.

But only Pyrrha and Weiss knew that this embrace was so much more.

They made promises they'd never made with anyone else before, because they'd never had someone they could trust like this.

They cried softly, and for a change, it was for joy.

And they kissed, to affirm and reaffirm that these affections were as real as the beats in their hearts, and the smiles on their lips.

* * *

 **A/N: It's not over yet! Weiss and Pyrrha still have more to their story.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	5. The Final Song

**It's time for our two girls to start getting used to being in love with each other! How will both of their being famous affect them, good and bad?**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 5. The Final Song

It was easy to be nervous about their newfound relationship.

Neither of them had ever been in one before, at least not a serious one.

A lot of foreign things came along with it, such as constant jitters.

Sometimes, it was a good feeling, one of excitement whenever they spoke or called one another, or were physically together.

Sometimes, it was a bit of an apprehensive feeling, whenever they'd been apart for a while, or when they saw or heard news about their being together.

Just as they'd anticipated, the media caught on quickly to their situation, and after they'd gone on only their fourth date or so, people had figured out the truth.

Weiss would never forget the day she first heard her name being spoken alongside Pyrrha Nikos' on the news as reporters playfully wondered why they were being seen together so frequently in recent weeks.

At the very least, Winter didn't need an explanation – she was the only person who already officially knew of the relationship.

But their father was a different story.

The day after hers and Pyrrha's fifth date together, Weiss was roused from bed by one of her maids.

"Miss Schnee, your father would like to see you immediately."

Weiss' stomach always flipped whenever she heard something like that, and it was always twice as uncomfortable if Winter wasn't visiting home and couldn't be there with Weiss.

Nonetheless, the heiress pushed herself out of bed and quickly made herself as decent as possible before scurrying to her father's office. Upon her entry, she was sure to inhale deeply and lift her chin high.

Her father stood behind his desk expectantly, but other than that and a bit of intrigue, his expression was unreadable as always. He motioned his youngest daughter inside, and Weiss obeyed, bracing herself for anything. She shoved the rasp out of her voice and addressed him politely.

"Good morning, Father. You wanted to see me?"

He glanced her over, his gaze seeming to drag over every inch of her before he replied in that deliberately undisclosed tone of his.

"Indeed. I'd wanted to inquire about Miss Nikos. You two are causing quite the stir in the media these days."

Weiss held his gaze and didn't blink.

"Is that causing a problem, Father?"

This was a bit of advice she'd gotten from Winter. Weiss already knew the answer, but she was going to make her father verbally admit that her relationship with Pyrrha was a good thing.

Weiss tried to push down the feeling of triumph as he replied.

"I wouldn't say it's a problem. Perhaps an uproar? Or simply a lot of attention is being drawn to you, and to the Schnee family as a whole. Despite a recent increase in White Fang activity, we've been getting more business with our Dust."

He both looked and sounded rather pleased, which encouraged Weiss to speak up.

"It's just as the people are assuming, Father. Pyrrha Nikos and I are romantically involved."

She watched his eyebrows raise slightly at her bold declaration. For a moment, he needed to process what she'd just said – clearly she'd beaten him to the punch.

When he finally did reply, he seemed rather pleased. And Weiss had known him her entire life, so she recognized that as a very, very rare thing for him to be.

"So it's true," he observed. "I'd had an inkling. How long has it been like this? How long have you been keeping it secret from me?"

Weiss didn't waver under his subtly accusatory tone.

"Since the first date. We've been growing closer ever since. But only recently has the news emerged to those around us."

Again, the man looked her over, as though he wasn't sure what to make of her.

Still, Weiss didn't flinch. She maintained eye contact with her father, waiting for him to speak or to ask more of her.

But she'd never expected to see him _smile_.

His lips twitched so slightly it was just about unnoticeable, and he quickly covered it with his palm a second later. Weiss needed to refrain from smiling as well as he spoke once again.

"You were smart to keep it secret for as long as you did. This way, the world sees it as a gradual thing. It's believable. It's interesting. Now that it's official, you don't have to be ambiguous about it.

"I'll be speaking to Miss Nikos' agents and parents at once, and we shall arrange for you to be specially accommodated at her next match in one week. Two days after that, we shall entertain Miss Nikos at your concert here in Atlas."

Weiss was trying her best not to jump for joy where she stood. She clutched her hands together behind her back in her excitement, then dipped her head to him.

"Thank you, Father."

He nodded and gave a dismissive wave of his hand. Weiss turned and headed for the doors.

But just before she could exit, his voice reached her ears once again.

"And Weiss? Make this work."

It wasn't a request.

Weiss swallowed, and replied without facing him.

"Of course, Father."

At last, she left him.

Her chest was a tangle of emotions now as she hurried back to her room. She'd actually gotten her father's approval on all of this. He'd even praised her.

But the final order he'd given had her heart beating harder.

 _No. Even if he orders me, that's not going to be the reason I keep seeing Pyrrha. I'm not going to keep dating her solely because he's demanded it of me. My feelings are immensely more genuine than that._

She knew that much was true.

Her confidence in herself, and in her feelings for Pyrrha allowed her to calm down a bit and push all the negative bubbles of worry away until they'd popped and dissipated altogether.

Weiss returned to her room and found her scroll, then texted the recent news to both Pyrrha and to Winter. Her sister replied first.

 _ **I'm so proud of you, Weiss. Excellent work. You deserve this so much.**_

And as she was relishing her older sister's praise, Pyrrha responded a few seconds later.

 _ **That's wonderful news, Weiss! I've told my parents as well and they're thrilled for us! Not only is this beneficial to both our businesses, but it's perfect for the two of us as well!**_

Weiss couldn't stop smiling as she read over the message.

 _ **I agree. Our feelings for each other were real from the very beginning, and the fact that we come from the backgrounds we do is an added bonus! Our relationship can also benefit our families and our work now as well!**_

To which Pyrrha replied:

 _ **Exactly! I'm just so glad we both know how we feel about each other. Our feelings come first and everything else comes second. Now then, I assume you already know about my match next week? You'll have a front row seat this time!**_

Weiss smiled to herself as she continued texting her girlfriend, already imagining how this development would change their relationship for the better.

They decided not to go on any more dates for the next week, so that Pyrrha could focus on training for her next match and Weiss could focus on her concert a few days after that.

Even so, they texted and called one another daily to share news, no matter how small.

Every morning, there were pleasant text messages to wake up to, every lunch hour there were quick calls made, and every evening there were goodnight wishes exchanged between them.

As the days passed, they began to hear more and more about themselves on the news, and especially online.

But as they'd anticipated, the prospect of their romantic relationship now only drew more attention to the girls than ever before. Tickets for their respective performances sold out hours earlier than they ever had before.

Remnant was smitten with them.

Almost as smitten as they were with each other.

* * *

Before they knew, it the morning of Pyrrha's match was upon them.

Weiss had attended several more since the first one Winter had gotten her into, but today's would be the first time she'd be attending as Pyrrha's official girlfriend.

She dressed in a comfortable blue dress and pulled a white bolero on over her shoulders. She left her hair down in a casual fashion, stepped into a pair of flats, and was boarding her air ship within the hour.

Due to work elsewhere, Winter wouldn't be attending Pyrrha's match today as security as she had in the past, so Weiss was on her own. But she wasn't nervous about it at all.

Unlike the first few times when she'd been nearly overwhelmed by the noise and motion of the audience, now she was far too excited to pay those things any mind.

Once her ship landed, people began to swarm around her, asking about Pyrrha and herself. Weiss thanked the guards Winter had sent for her as they kept the people at bay and eventually managed to lead Weiss to her front-row seat.

She'd never been this close to one of the arenas before, and she was eager to be able to watch Pyrrha fight from such a distance.

The second the announcement was made, Pyrrha entered, dressed in all her pristine armor, and the audience exploded in cheers as always. There were also a few small flowers tucked into her golden headpiece, which only added to her beauty.

She presented them with a smile as bright as ever, waving her javelin high above her head as she faced all directions.

She came to a pause, however, the second she spotted Weiss.

The heiress had stood from her seat in her excitement and was now leaning slightly over the edge of the arena's walls, waving with an exuberant expression on her face.

Pyrrha faced her girlfriend for a moment longer than she faced anyone else, and with a wink, blew Weiss a kiss.

The people around her cooed and squealed as Weiss blushed lightly.

A moment later, the announcement was made that the match would begin, and everyone took their seats.

Pyrrha began her performance by demonstrating her swift, precise skills on air, without an opponent to face just yet. Just seeing how she moved, be it running, jumping, twirling, or any other motion, was simply breathtaking.

After a few minutes of showing off her technique, her opponents were brought out.

She fought against a few well-trained people first, some armed with swords and spears and others armed with guns. But no matter the weapon or its calibre, Pyrrha always managed to evade attacks of any kind with ease and grace.

Once more, Weiss was overcome with the feeling that she was watching a dance rather than a match.

The autumn-like colors of Pyrrha's appearance were beautiful enough already, but the tiny, added splash of sunset reds and oranges from the flowers in her hair only made her even more stunning.

Once she'd successfully triumphed over her human opponents, Weiss clapped as loudly as she could.

After that, it was the Grimm.

Since the first match she'd seen, Pyrrha had advanced her technique incredibly. She was now capable of fighting an entire flock of small Nevermores, then a pack of Beowolves, and finished with three Ursa at a time.

It was an admirable feat, to say the very least.

Nearly two hours of almost nonstop fighting for such a young girl who wasn't even professionally trained at one of the academies was unheard of.

As soon as the announcement was made that today's matches had concluded, every person in the audience was out of their seats and cheering.

Pyrrha bowed in all directions, but ultimately paused facing one person in particular.

When her eyes met Weiss', the singer half-expected Pyrrha to be swaying on her feet after the rigorous battle. But though her brow was dappled with sweat and her chest was heaving slightly, Pyrrha's smile never faltered for a second.

She walked to the edge of the arena, as close to Weiss as she could get, and placed her javelin and shield aside for the moment. Reaching up both of her arms, she invited Weiss to her.

The announcer and the crowds instantly realized what was going on, and they eagerly awaited Weiss' response.

It certainly wasn't even close to anything she'd ever done before, but Weiss knew what she wanted to do.

A bit awkwardly, she clambered over the side wall of the arena and let her legs dangle over the opposite side. Her girlfriend grinned up at her.

"Come on, Weiss! Jump!"

By then, the crowds were chanting the very same thing.

So Weiss slid herself off the edge, down about ten feet, and landed safely in Pyrrha's arms. She was caught with such firm precision that her shoes didn't even touch the dusty ground before Pyrrha was twirling her around, showing her off to the audience and the cameras that brought in the rest of the world.

"Sorry," she murmured so only Weiss could hear. "For having you do this when I'm all sweaty."

Weiss looped her arms around the girl's shoulders and shook her head.

"Don't be. Can you think of one person on Remnant right now who _isn't_ enjoying this?"

If such a person existed, they certainly weren't within a hundred miles of the arena.

Pyrrha chuckled.

"You're right!"

Slowly, she supported Weiss' back and let her down for a moment, reaching up a hand to the flowers in her hair. Pyrrha extracted an orange one and transferred it over to Weiss' hair, tucking it in beneath the white locks behind her ear.

Then, Pyrrha scooped her up once more and kissed her for all the world to see.

She was certain she'd never heard one of her audiences cheer quite as loud as they did in that moment.

* * *

Only a few days later, it was time for Pyrrha to attend her first of Weiss' concerts as her official girlfriend.

She dressed a bit more nicely than she might have in previous weeks, fully intent to be the first person to rush to Weiss' side as soon as the singing came to an end.

That morning, after she'd showered and prepared her outfit, Pyrrha sat on her bed with her damp hair in a towel, still wearing her sleep clothes as she called the singer on her scroll.

It took Weiss a few rings to answer, and Pyrrha assumed it was because she was making preparations for the concert tonight, or speaking to her father. But as soon as she answered and her image appeared on-screen, Pyrrha burst into an excited smile.

"Weiss! How are you today? Are you ready for tonight? Oh, what am I saying, of course you are! Oh, and please excuse my appearance. I'd wanted to call you as soon as possible so I didn't miss you."

Weiss' image looked back at her with a smile.

"You're fine, Pyrrha. Don't worry." Suddenly, she looked over her shoulder briefly, as though someone had called her name.

Pyrrha waited in silence for a moment until Weiss turned back to her, the smile faded.

"Sorry..." Weiss' eyes flicked away for a second, then she plastered the smile back on. "So... are you excited to come tonight?"

But Pyrrha was no fool. She'd known Weiss long enough to be able to read her and know that the smile was fake. She put her wet towel aside, straightened her back, and narrowed her eyes a bit.

"Weiss, what's wrong? Did something happen? You can tell me."

Weiss paused, but only managed to flick her gaze up for a second to meet Pyrrha's.

"Well... I guess you could say that... Both Father and Winter have been telling me lately that there's been a bit of... discontent stirring within the White Fang recently. Winter just told me we were going to increase security at tonight's concert, but they're not saying anything to the public. They don't want to cause panic or uncertainty. Not tonight."

Pyrrha listened quietly.

Weiss had told her that the concert she'd be holding tonight was meant to promote and support a certain organization. Most of the proceeds would go to that organization, and in return, they would make a financial deal with Schnee Dust. So they couldn't afford to jeopardize this performance and risk losing money on guests that felt it was too dangerous to attend.

Pyrrha's shoulders slumped a little. She knew this ordeal was putting a great deal of pressure on Weiss, and she didn't want it to affect her badly – both for the sake of her concert, and for the sake of her personal wellbeing.

Pyrrha decided she'd leave a bit earlier than usual today so she could see Weiss a little sooner in person. But for now, she reassured her with words and smiles.

"Don't fret, Weiss. A bit of added security won't jeopardize anything. It certainly won't put off the guests; they'll just feel safer than usual! Don't let any of that worry you. You'll give an incredible performance tonight just as you always do! I know you will!"

She hoped she was sounding supportive and not like she was trying to pressure the girl.

But thankfully, Weiss seemed to be cheered up by Pyrrha's encouraging words. Her posture relaxed a bit, and the tiny smile reappeared.

"Thank you, Pyrrha. I feel better now. I've got to start getting ready, but I'll see you soon."

"Right! See you soon, Weiss!"

Once they'd hung up, Pyrrha made quick work of getting ready, adorning herself in a lovely formal red dress. She left her hair down and only tied a small portion of it into a ponytail over the rest.

She freshened up a bit more, and before long was on an air ship that would take her to Weiss.

Tonight's concert would be in Atlas, so she needed to leave earlier in order to get there at the desired time. At the very least, this meant Weiss didn't have to rush and stress about traveling far from home.

The flight was a little over and hour long, and as soon as the ship landed, Pyrrha was hailing a car to take her to the stadium where she knew Weiss was already preparing herself backstage.

Other patrons had already started a line outdoors in the fine springtime air and seemed happy to wait until they were let inside to take their seats.

But Pyrrha did instantly notice the increase in security. There seemed to be almost twice as many guards as there typically were, though rather than the armed, militant persons at her own arena, these guards were dressed in suits and occasionally mumbled into hidden ear pieces.

Keeping her poise proper and polite, Pyrrha slipped to the front of the line and extracted her VIP ticket from her purse. The special pass had been given to her by Weiss herself multiple times now for the past few concerts.

Previously, Pyrrha had received a few envious looks from other people, but now that the public knew of their relationship, most people around her murmured in admiration.

"Isn't that Miss Nikos?"

"Miss Schnee's girlfriend?"

"She's going to see her. How pleasant."

Pyrrha maintained her smile as the guards let her through into the building. She scurried in down the aisle past the rows and rows of empty seats that would soon be filled until she reached the stage.

There, Pyrrha presented her pass and identification once again before that set of guards allowed her to go backstage.

She'd been to this particular stage before, so she knew exactly where to look for Weiss.

She saw all the usual things she typically witnessed backstage before one of Weiss' concerts, people hurrying about to make last-minute preparations. She spotted one man carrying Myrtenaster, so Pyrrha assumed it would be used during tonight's performance.

It didn't take long to spot Winter, and naturally, Weiss was right beside her.

"Weiss!" With a soft call of her name, Pyrrha got her attention.

The heiress, who was dressed in a white gown for the evening, instantly perked up at the sound of her voice.

"Pyrrha!"

They hurried toward one another and met in an embrace halfway. Weiss sighed, releasing a bit of unease along with it.

"You're early."

Pyrrha kissed the girl's temple.

"I'd wanted to make sure I could see you before everything began. I hope that's alright."

"Of course it is. Thank you. I needed this tonight." Weiss tugged her down slightly so she may kiss her lips with gentle affection. "When the performance is over, you should come onstage with me, if you'd like. I want to boast to the world about my wonderful girlfriend just as you did for me a few days ago."

Pyrrha hummed happily.

"I would love to! You can count on it, Weiss."

Now that she had a little something to look forward to after the concert, Weiss was motivated to make it through the evening. She stayed in Pyrrha's arms for a moment until her sister's voice kindly interjected.

"Weiss? I hate to interrupt, but you've got to get ready."

"Oh!" Pyrrha quickly stepped away. "Sorry! I don't want to keep you. Go on, Weiss." She let her go, but not without one last kiss. "You'll be incredible as always. I know it."

The singer smiled and returned the kiss.

"I'll be sure to make it worth your while."

With that, she retreated to Winter's side, the flow of her dress following behind her. Pyrrha watched her go for a moment, until a guard politely instructed her to head back out to her seat. She obeyed, and by the time she'd found her seat in the front row as indicated by her ticket, half the seats around her were already being filled up as well as other people were allowed inside.

Pyrrha still remembered her first concert of Weiss', how sitting alone in this sea of prestigious people had been fairly intimidating.

But now, they all seemed to be admiring her from a distance, murmuring about how she was Weiss' girlfriend.

Sometimes, she needed to hide her smile. She was proud to be Weiss' girlfriend, of course, but she didn't want to appear as smug about it as she felt.

They waited for about ten more minutes before the lights were dimmed and the spotlights were directed onto the center of the stage. A familiar voice came over the intercom to announce the singer's title, and the white curtains were gingerly drawn aside to reveal her.

She was even more dazzling than she'd been just ten minutes ago.

The lights made her dress and skin glow under the cool, alluring beams. Her hair had been folded into a bun to one side of her head, but her hair purposefully spilled out for the most part, covering the front and back of her right shoulder.

Particles of Dust were already swirling down from the rafters, giving off the appearance of snowflakes. Her hands were folded neatly at her stomach, the echoes of her footsteps coming to a pause as she lifted her head to her audience.

With the first note of an unseen piano, she began to sing.

This was a new number, one Pyrrha hadn't heard before. She knew Weiss wrote her own lyrics, and entertained the thought that Weiss had been writing these words at night before or after calling Pyrrha.

She did her best not to get emotional just from the first song alone, but with the way Weiss' voice carried over the words so naturally, and with the connotations of the words themselves, Pyrrha found that by the end of the piece, there was hardly a dry eye in the place.

As soon as the final note was sung, there was a brief pause so everyone may absorb it. And then the first bout of applause started up.

After that, the songs were a bit livelier and just as gorgeous.

Weiss took up Myrtenaster rather early on this time around, whereas she typically used it more towards the ends of her concerts. But now, she was wielding it as early as the third song.

There was something about seeing Weiss holding that weapon, dressed in her shorter, more flexible dresses. But this was the first time Pyrrha had ever seen her wield it while wearing a long, flowing ball gown.

It was just as awe-inspiring, if not more so.

The length of the rapier complimented the length of her dress and her hair tonight, giving her an almost doll-like impression. But though she may have looked and sounded like some ethereal princess when standing still, the second she lifted her weapon, a formidable, majestic knight was drawn forth.

The ankle-length materials of her dress never hindered her for a second as she began to move as though she were on a battlefield, forming glyphs of all colors and leaping effortlessly onto each of them. But every motion was deliberate and smooth, never for a second affecting the perfection that was her voice.

Pyrrha still failed to comprehend how Weiss could move around so much, twisting her body and spinning around as though she were dancing, but not letting it interfere with her singing or breath at all.

It was just one of the many mysteries that made the heiress such a wonder to behold.

The audience gasped in wonder many times that night.

At one point, Weiss cast a bit of ice over their heads. Then, with precise aim, fired a shot from her rapier to hit it. The ice exploded silently, never for a second interrupting her song, and the resulting flakes flurried down on her audience.

But perhaps the most impressive performance was of her finale song.

After a minute-long applause during which Weiss had accepted a bottle of water to refresh herself with, she began on her final piece. It was a bit of a more intense song, accompanied by various instruments and calling for many visual effects to go along with her words.

She cast multiple glyphs in order of their colors, spreading them out behind herself without once turning her back on the audience.

As she continued singing, she gradually merged the glyphs together directly beneath the main spotlight. The swirling circles reflected a kaleidoscope of colors, sparkling rainbows painting the walls and ceiling all around. Another snowfall was created, and the flakes all took on multiple colors as they drifted through the air.

Pyrrha was mesmerized. She felt everyone around her was holding their breath in much the same way she was.

Everyone was simply too astounded to budge, as though doing so might risk ruining the magic they'd found themselves enchanted by. Blinking was a tragedy, because not a soul wanted to miss so much as a second of this wondrous, fleeting spectacle.

None of Weiss' concerts were recorded or filmed, so the only way anyone could witness this was to experience it firsthand. They tried to savor it all as best they could, for as long as possible.

Pyrrha engraved all of it into her heart – the colors, the music, the sensation.

But most of all, she engraved Weiss there.

Surrounded by rainbow snowflakes with glyphs like small fireworks dancing behind her, reflecting off her white dress and alabaster hair...

She'd never looked quite so beautiful.

No one else on Remnant could captivate an audience quite as effortlessly as Weiss Schnee could.

The final stunning display was upon them, the spiraling snowflakes and twirling glyphs filling the room with light and color.

Weiss held out the last note of her song, the apex of her final piece.

And with exact timing, she cut off with the music, the glyphs vanished, and the lights faded.

Pyrrha's heart was pounding, even though she'd done nothing but sit and watch all this time. She was simply astounded.

The baffled silence of the people around her told her they'd been blown away as well.

This was undoubtedly one of Weiss' best performances yet, and everyone knew it.

A few beats of silence passed to ensure it was over.

Then, the first pair of hands started to clap. Then the second pair, and the third.

Within seconds, the entire room had erupted in applause.

Usually, Weiss' audiences refrained from cheering vocally, as they were composed of more refined people.

But tonight, no one seemed to care.

People stood up from their seats, clapped, cheered, whistled, cried, and everything in between.

Pyrrha was among the first people standing, clapping so hard her hands stung, tears welling up in her eyes. Her smile made her cheeks ache, but she couldn't help it, gazing at Weiss.

The heiress was still surrounded by a dusting of powdery snow. She straightened her back, panting slightly from the exertion she'd just gone through for the sake of her final song.

But although her chest was heaving, not a hair on her head was out of place, nor was there a single ruffle in her dress.

She even made exhaustion look refined.

As she caught her breath, she gazed around at her audience, reflecting their smiles as best she could. There was a shimmer in her blue eyes Pyrrha knew they could see even in the farthest row back.

Never before had there been such a reaction to one of her performances.

Weiss bowed and curtseyed many times, sweeping her gaze around to all of the people gathered here.

But ultimately, it rested on Pyrrha.

With a small wave, Weiss invited her up onstage.

Pyrrha's heart soared anew. She paused in her clapping to gather her dress in preparation to hurry forward and climb the stairs.

But before she could move, something happened.

It was so fast.

One moment, the room was filled with excitement and shouts of joy.

And the next, it was filled with horror and cries of fear.

Pyrrha didn't know what happened right away.

She'd been about to go to Weiss when she'd heard a loud shout from one of the guards lining the room.

There was a rush of thundering footsteps, then more shouting heading for one of the audience aisles.

Pyrrha lifted her head out of curiosity, wondering what the sudden commotion was about. She felt her heart come screeching to a halt.

Amongst the cheering crowd, there was a man dressed in black, the only person who wasn't applauding in any way. She could tell by the pointed ears on his head that he was a Faunus, but the mask over his eyes wasn't a festive one.

It had three red claw marks running down it.

This man alone was still and stoic as he clutched something in his hand and raised his arm.

Pyrrha didn't understand what was happening until it was already too late.

There was a deafening blast, much louder than the delight of the crowd.

It was vicious, ruthless, and unmistakable.

That sound produced the scene that triggered the screams of terror.

Pyrrha's throat went dry, and all of her senses suddenly felt jammed.

She managed to turn her head and look back to the stage.

She wished she hadn't.

Weiss swayed, a pale hand clutching her chest where a horrifying stain of crimson was staining rapidly through her dress. The shock on her face and the pain in her eyes were enough to twist every stomach in the room.

She stumbled, and more red spilled from her body.

She fell.

Everyone was screaming now.

But no one as loudly as Pyrrha.

* * *

 **A/N: In light of the most recent episode with the notion of a Weiss concert now in the future of the series, I find the timing of this chapter's posting to be horribly ironic.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	6. The Warmth Inside

**Most of you who know me saw that coming. I admit I have a nasty habit...**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 6. The Warmth Inside

" _WEISS!_ "

Above all the other shouts and screams of terror, Pyrrha's horrified voice rose up in distress.

Fear gripped every nerve in her body - smothering, suffocating, until she was numbed by an intangible weight.

It was as though the entire room had suddenly been filled with water, and there at the bottom of it all, she was slowly being crushed by the pressure.

The people around her were rushing about all in a panic, shoving past one another in a frenzy bound for the doors. She could hear the shouts of the security guards trying to control them, keep order as best they could in this crisis.

Pyrrha felt several people trying to pull or nudge her along as well.

But her eyes never once moved from Weiss' limp form, lying motionless on the stage.

Even from this distance, she could see when a small trickle of red began to drip off over the side of the stage.

" _No_..."

This... couldn't be happening.

There was just no way.

Security had been tighter than ever tonight, so how had they allowed this to happen?

" _Weiss_ -"

"Nikos!"

A sudden shout snapped her out of her trance. Pyrrha whipped around, feeling tears fly off her cheeks as she moved.

Amongst the masses of moving bodies, she managed to catch the eye of a familiar woman.

Winter was herding patrons to the doors, holding the hand of a young screaming child who had evidently been misplaced in the chaos. She met Pyrrha's gaze and cried out to her again.

"Nikos, please! Go to my sister!"

Winter was very clearly terrified, furious, and helpless. There was no way she could get to Weiss with all of these other people she needed to get to safety, and as far as Pyrrha knew, the shooter had yet to be detained.

Even so, she'd planned on going to Weiss' side even if Winter hadn't asked it of her.

She tore her gaze away and swept it around the room, trying to figure out where the shooter was. She didn't want to risk getting shot as well if she went to Weiss' aid, because then she'd be more of a burden than help.

Judging by what she could discern, security guards had split, some to help the guests keep safe, and others to pursue the shooter, who had apparently fled to another part of the building.

That was all she needed to know right now.

Pyrrha dashed towards the stage, her legs now empowered by adrenaline and fear. Still, an overwhelming sense of numbness filled her, until it felt as though her limbs weren't attached to the rest of herself.

But somehow, she managed to move them enough until she'd clambered onstage and skidded to a halt.

She was both relieved and horrified to discover that Weiss hadn't been completely motionless as Pyrrha had suspected from below.

The heiress was lying on her side in a pool of red that only continued to grow by the second. Her body convulsed in shockwaves of pain, her chest heaving for breath. Her eyes were half-open in agony and spilling over with tears, her mouth agape in a silent scream for help.

She was conscious.

Which meant she was still alive.

But it also meant she was feeling this horrible pain every single second.

"Weiss!"

Pyrrha dropped to her knees beside her, trembling hands reaching out to her. She didn't move her for fear of aggravating the wound further, trying to get the petrified girl's attention.

"Weiss! Weiss! I-I'm here! I'm here..."

She fumbled to find her girlfriend's hands, which were both curled limply at her stomach in a vain effort to cover the wound. They were both stained with blood.

Pyrrha squeezed them gently, watching as her own tears dripped down onto her girlfriend's small hands. Weiss' eyes tried to focus on her, but there was a thick haze in them as they shifted in and out of focus beneath the bright lights.

A small, bubbling cough forced its way up her throat.

"P-Pyrr-ha..."

"Shh..." The champion gently – _gently_ – squeezed Weiss' hands and sobbed. "Don't try to talk. Please just... just breathe, okay? Stay awake. I'm going to- to help you..."

Weiss blinked, and more tears were pushed out as her eyelashes met the rise of her pale cheeks. She nodded, but even that tiny motion caused her to cough again.

Pyrrha stilled her so she wouldn't convulse again, lightly pressing a hand to Weiss' collar.

She tried to push down the panic as best she could and concentrate now.

Weiss needed her.

She focused on her palm, paying attention to the way Weiss' chest moved as she gasped for breath, trying to discern if there was blood in her lungs. If she used her aura on Weiss, she wanted to heal the worst of the damage first and foremost.

She could feel a small gurgle to Weiss' breath, but as things were now, she didn't believe it was enough to drown her.

There was a slight floundering feeling as well, and she recognized it as Weiss' aura. It was flitting about, straining as it attempted to tend to the wound in her side while also trying to fix the issues in her breathing, and still maintain its natural protection around the rest of her body.

Her heart was already beating far too thickly, and painfully hard from the combination of the pain and terror. Any more stress on her body and Weiss might very well lose consciousness.

If that happened, Pyrrha wasn't sure if she'd be able to bring her back.

Balancing her hands over Weiss' wound, she unlocked her aura immediately and let it flow through her arms to the tips of her fingers. With a bit of effort, she got it to transfer onto Weiss, pushing it against the flow of blood pouring out, trying to keep as much of it inside as possible.

Automatically, Weiss' body relaxed just a bit. Now with two auras inside her body, the pain had lessened. The addition of Pyrrha's foreign but familiar one allowed Weiss' own to stop straining so much.

Weiss swallowed dryly, closing her eyes to do the best she could to breathe as Pyrrha had asked her to.

Pyrrha longed to keep her eyes open to monitor Weiss' condition. But seeing the look of excruciating distress and anguish on her face only served to distract her.

She needed to focus. For Weiss' sake.

But she glanced at Weiss one more time, fully comprehending that it very well might be the _last_ time if things should go awry. She sobbed, letting more tears fall into the white fabrics of the heiress' dress.

"Please... hang on..."

She kept the image of Weiss in her mind, lying there, pale and shattered and caked in her own blood. It was heartbreaking and harrowing, like seeing a fairy with her wings torn off, or a unicorn shot by an arrow, bleeding out...

Pyrrha closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Weiss needed her.

She pushed herself to focus on healing, not fretting.

She could feel her aura entwining with Weiss', helping it to attack the festering wound inside her chest.

As Pyrrha mentally detached herself from her own body, she could focus more on Weiss'.

She recognized the bones and muscles that had been torn, and extended her aura towards them, letting it wash over them like water on flames. She could feel Weiss' heart, shuddering with every beat.

Weiss' blood was pulsing, some of it trying to rush out of the hole the bullet had created. But Pyrrha eased it back, guiding it to where it should've been, back into her veins. She reached out, letting her aura follow the path to Weiss' pulse, where it curled gently over her heart to calm it.

Now, she was much more aware of Weiss' body, and she allowed her aura to guide her to the source of the pain.

She could feel it, especially with her semblance. The bullet had just barely pierced Weiss' left lung, and with every hitched breath, the hole was torn slightly larger.

Pyrrha knew she had to do something quickly.

She wasn't confident enough in her abilities to use her semblance to remove the bullet completely. She feared doing so would only let Weiss bleed faster if there were no other medical personnel immediately on-scene. She suspected they were on their way, but right now, Pyrrha couldn't afford to risk it.

But at the very least, she managed to wrap her semblance around the bullet. With great care and precision, she pulled it back ever so slightly, away from Weiss' lung.

The girl shrieked a strangled cry and jolted, causing Pyrrha to firmly hold her down.

"Sorry... I'm sorry..."

Weeping apologies, she sent her aura in to begin mending the tear in Weiss' lung.

As the seconds ticked by, Pyrrha could feel the minor improvements in the girl's breathing. She reopened her eyes and looked Weiss over.

Sweat coated her skin, and tears still fell down the sides of her face. But the blood flow had staunched almost completely.

A prickle of relief lit in Pyrrha's stomach, but she made sure not to get ahead of herself. She had to keep giving Weiss her aura, and ensure she didn't close up the entrance wound entirely, lest she trap the bullet inside.

But it had gotten to the point where she felt safe enough to lessen the flow of her aura and cover the wound with only one of her hands.

Her other palm was bloodied, and she promptly wiped it on the floor as best she could while another sob racked her body. She used her free hand to find and cover both of Weiss', giving a soft squeeze.

"Weiss? Weiss, love? If you can hear me please- _please_ just hold on. Just focus on my voice, okay?"

She gave one more squeeze to Weiss' knuckles, then let go, instead deciding to shift her position a bit. Pyrrha slipped her free hand beneath Weiss' head and cradled her against her lap.

"You're going to be okay, Weiss."

Leaning forward, she pressed a small, brief kiss to the girl's trembling lips. Weiss whimpered.

"Py-"

"Shh... Don't talk. Just breathe. You're going to be fine."

She just kept repeating herself to calm Weiss down, having her relax as much as possible.

She did this for what seemed like hours, until at last the sounds of the room registered with her once more.

Winter's voice was calling out their names, and when Pyrrha turned her head, she could see there were medical personnel approaching rapidly behind Weiss' sister.

Relief flooded over her in strong waves. She'd managed to keep Weiss conscious and breathing long enough.

As the medic hurried onto the stage, Winter coaxed Pyrrha away from her sister to let them work. The woman's eyes were fixed on Weiss, clearly longing to reach out and touch her, but she needed to let the others do their job.

"Nikos..." Winter supported her and helped her to her feet, then guided her away a few steps. "How- How is she? Is she-?"

"She's going to make it," Pyrrha reassured her. "I healed her as much as I could without risking lodging the bullet. She might've lost consciousness, but she's not in any danger anymore."

Hearing her words, Winter brought a hand to her mouth and sighed.

"Thank goodness..." Her eyes flicked back to Pyrrha's. "You saved her life... Damn it. It's my fault. Security wasn't tight enough. We didn't-"

"Winter, please," Pyrrha presented her with a small smile. "It's over now. Weiss wouldn't want you to blame yourself for this. You know that."

Pyrrha didn't know Winter very well personally, but she knew enough to understand that the woman had probably never shown such a vulnerable side of herself like this to anyone in years. She was frazzled enough by the incident – she didn't need more guilt on top of it all.

Winter sighed again.

"You're right... It seems you understand her even better than I ever did." She reached out, softly brushing the backs of her fingers over the trails of tears on Pyrrha's cheeks. "Thank you for saving my sister. I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"You don't have to," Pyrrha reassured her. "Just this is enough, honestly."

Winter searched her eyes for a moment, then dipped her head.

"You're an amazing young woman, Pyrrha Nikos. And there's no one else I'd rather have standing by my sister's side."

Pyrrha didn't know what it was that made her start to cry again.

Perhaps it was the release of all the stress now that the ordeal had ended.

Perhaps it had been the emotion behind Winter's trusting words.

Or perhaps it had been because she was reminded of just how much she loved Weiss.

She began to weep softly, and Winter stayed beside her, giving orders to whomever was available to assist them.

Pyrrha remembered being led outside into a small vehicle, where she eventually faded out of consciousness.

* * *

All she could see was Weiss, lying there motionless on the stage, drowning in red.

Pyrrha did all she could, but it was never enough.

She couldn't save her.

She couldn't even speak.

She couldn't do anything...

When she opened her eyes, she wasn't on that stage anymore. There were softly glowing lights above her, pale-colored walls, a quiet air all around.

She blinked a few times to get adjusted to everything, opening her mouth slightly to try and pop the bubbly sensation ringing in her ears. A muffled voice spoke nearby, and Pyrrha flashed her eyes in the direction of the speaker.

"Well, it's about time."

Winter's words weren't spoken ill-naturedly, but rather with an affectionate smile on her lips. If she were this calm, that told Pyrrha that Weiss must've been all right.

But even so, she needed to know for certain.

"Winter..." She pushed herself up from the bed, glad to find she wasn't tied down by monitors or wires. Pillows were propped up behind her as she moved a hand to her head and groaned. "What about-"

"Weiss is fine," Winter assured her before she could worry. "Thanks to you. By sharing your aura with her so skillfully and responding so quickly, they say you really did save her life, Nikos. I can't even begin to express my gratitude."

Pyrrha blinked heavily and shook her head a bit.

"I only want one thing."

Winter held her gaze sternly.

"Name it."

Pyrrha could only manage a desperate whisper.

"Let me see her."

Of course, Winter hadn't expected anything else from the girl who loved her sister so dearly. She knew Pyrrha loved Weiss as much as Winter herself did, only it was a different kind of love. She stood from her bedside chair and sighed.

"I should have known. I just came from seeing her myself, actually. She was barely conscious, but all she did was ask for you and cry. It broke my heart. So I had to leave her and tell her to rest. I promised her I'd come back with you when you were awake. But first, we need to make sure _you're_ able to be up and about."

Pyrrha was already peeling the sheets off herself, finding she'd been dressed in robes.

"I'll just need a minute."

She felt a little dizzy, but it was nothing serious. They'd probably treated her with aura supplements after she'd given so much of it to Weiss.

Winter offered her arm to help support the girl. Pyrrha found a pair of slippers beside her bed and promptly slipped into them, then got to standing with Winter's assistance.

Pyrrha's dizziness faded at the prospect of getting to see Weiss again, and they were heading out the door within minutes.

Weiss' room was just next door. Winter spoke briefly with a nurse outside the room, and that woman looked Pyrrha over quickly to ensure she was fine before allowing them both entry.

The second Pyrrha saw Weiss lying in the bed with the IV hooked up to her arm, so still and small in robes that looked to big for her...

She understood what Winter had meant about it breaking her heart.

"Oh..." Tears rose up to her eyes instantly, and she put a hand to her mouth. "Oh, Weiss..."

"Don't worry too much," Winter murmured. "It's not as bad as it looks. She's just severely fatigued from the blood loss, but she's recovering. Other than that, she's fine. Trust me. I've asked."

A bit more reassured now, Pyrrha slowly made her way over to a chair that had been pulled up to Weiss' bed, presumably one Winter had sat in up until now. Once Pyrrha was settled, Winter remained on her feet and leaned over her sister's frail form.

"Weiss, sweetie?" She reached out and ever-so-gently tapped her shoulder.

A few seconds later, Weiss' blue eyes blinked open, lashes fluttering tiredly.

"Win... ter..."

"Yes, dear. Pyrrha is here for you now. I've brought her just like I'd promised."

Weiss' response was an emotional whimper, and Pyrrha heard the beeping of the heart monitor increase a bit. Weiss struggled to free her arms from the blankets.

Winter hushed her and carefully assisted her in rolling the sheets down a bit, cautioning her all the while.

But rather than try to push herself up, Weiss did something else.

She reached her shaking arms up around Winter's shoulders and pulled her down into a small embrace.

Winter had done this for her before, but that had been in privacy. But even now with Pyrrha present, she felt no shame at all in hugging her little sister. She wrapped Weiss in her arms as tightly as she dared, sighing in relief to have her back.

"There's my little snowpea."

Winter both felt and heard Weiss giggle a little bit.

She waited a moment, keeping Weiss close, letting her feel as warm as possible until her sister's arms began to slip away. Winter made sure to kiss her forehead before guiding her back down to her pillows.

"I'll leave you two now," Winter said, straightening up a bit. "But please, call for me if anything happens. I'll be just outside."

This part was directed at Pyrrha, who nodded seriously.

"I will. Don't worry."

Winter dipped her head, then turned back to her sister. "Please take it easy. You're still recovering. You need rest."

Weiss sighed, her voice nothing more than a whispered rasp as she replied.

"I... w-will... Thank you, W-Winter..."

She sounded so feeble, but it was more from sleep-deprivation than anything else after the experience she'd had.

Winter lingered a moment longer, letting her hand find her sister's and squeeze gently. Then, she turned away, and with one last shared look with Pyrrha, took her leave of the room.

The instant she was gone, Pyrrha moved her chair as close as possible to the bed.

"Weiss... Weiss, I'm here..."

Sky-blue eyes locked with emerald, and Weiss was already crying. Again, Pyrrha heard the spike in the monitor, and she feared if it got to be too much, it could pose a threat to Weiss' condition. Quickly, she reached out and covered her girlfriend's exposed hands with her own.

"Weiss, it's all right. It's all right now. I promise. You don't have to cry... I'm worried about you..."

She could tell that these weren't all tears of joy for being reunited with Pyrrha. There was a lot of fear as well. Pyrrha leaned in close and softly kissed her brow.

"What is it? What's making you upset? You can tell me, Weiss. When you're ready. Just take it slowly. Breathe."

As she spoke, she stroked her fingers through Weiss' loose white hair to calm her down. She squeezed Weiss' hands again, then leaned forward to kiss them each.

She waited a moment for Weiss' breathing to slow, until she could try and attempt speaking again.

"I was just-" She sniffled heavily, her voice breaking on a sob.

Pyrrha quieted her, gingerly tracing a palm over Weiss' chest, making absolutely sure to avoid the wound hidden beneath the fabrics and bandages on her side.

"Take your time," she whispered. "I'm not going anywhere, Weiss. I'll be right here. I promise."

She was certain Weiss had spent the past several hours lying here with doctors and nurses looming above her.

So Pyrrha did her best to make her presence less intimidating. She lowered herself down, resting her cheek on Weiss' shoulder gently, making sure not to put too much pressure on her. This way, Weiss could talk and cry as she needed to, and not worry about making eye contact or fret about people seeing her upset.

Pyrrha slipped one arm beneath the girl's shoulders to support her head, threading fingers through Weiss' hair in the way she knew would calm her down best. Her other hand continued to rub circles over her collar to ease her breathing.

The ministrations seemed to work, because a moment later, Weiss had found her voice once more.

"I was just... so _scared_..."

That was all she could manage before the tears came back full-force.

Pyrrha cooed and whispered to her, doing everything within her power to help.

"I can't imagine what it must have been like," she whispered. "The pain you must've gone through. I'm so sorry."

She kissed Weiss' cheek and pulled herself closer as Winter had done, embracing Weiss loosely.

The heiress grunted and attempted to turn herself onto her good side, fighting past the aching numbness to do so. Pyrrha helped her move as she wished, making sure she didn't strain herself. Weiss turned to face her and reached out, pulling Pyrrha in as much as she could manage.

"But I know... you were scared, too. You were... in pain, too..."

Pyrrha whimpered, flinched.

Weiss was the first person, even before Pyrrha herself, to acknowledge those things.

It was _her_ turn to cry now.

Turning her face, she nuzzled into Weiss' shoulder, squeezing her softly.

"I was..." she murmured. "When I saw you like that... bleeding... I was so scared..."

And it was Weiss' turn to offer comfort.

Slowly, she shifted as to not aggravate her wound, reaching out to curl her arms around Pyrrha's back and shoulders. She pulled her in and kissed her head many times.

"You saved my life..."

Pyrrha sobbed against her chest.

"Without you, _I'd_ have no life to live."

Weiss sniffled and hugged her closer. Pyrrha returned the embrace as best she could given both of their positions.

Weiss was cradling her head close to her chest, and the familiar scent of serene snowy landscapes filled her lungs. And yet, Pyrrha had never been warmer in her entire life.

She cried softly into Weiss' collar while the heiress did the same into Pyrrha's shoulder.

All the while, Pyrrha could hear the speedy beeping of the heart monitor as Weiss' emotions ran high.

But the loud sounds of the machine held no comparison to the actual thing.

Pyrrha turned her face slightly, until her ear had settled comfortably against the center of Weiss' chest.

It wasn't difficult to pinpoint her pulse. It fluttered just beneath Pyrrha's ear, a full, strong, fast beat, one that was unmistakably alive. It was a little scared, but the time for fear had passed.

More than anything, it was relieved, full of love and life. It was a soft, subtle, pleasant sound, a rhythm Pyrrha knew very well by now.

She loved it so much.

She loved _Weiss_ so much.

Weiss was pressing kisses onto the side of her head and all through her hair. Pyrrha wanted to do the same, but she didn't want to stop listening yet.

Every time she tried to pull away from Weiss' pulse, the space and silence left around her ear felt unnatural, and she had to listen again.

She did her best to kiss Weiss' chest, be it over her robes or along the exposed white skin of her collar and neck. She kissed wherever she could, occasionally pausing a moment to cry a little more. She could feel Weiss' warm tears seeping into her shoulder as well, but now she knew they were only good tears.

Pyrrha lost track of time. It didn't matter. Nothing else in the world did, other than Weiss.

But eventually, the heartbeat beneath her ear took on a slower pace, and the rise and fall of Weiss' breath became deeper.

She must've been so tired.

Pyrrha listened and held her for a few more minutes, able to feel Weiss' arms going limp around her.

At last, she pulled herself away and sat up once more, letting a few more tears fall down onto the mattress. She looked Weiss over, from the ruffled sheets over her legs to the ruffled robes over her torso.

Pyrrha thought she might've been cold, so she took care in smoothing the girl's clothes out for her, adjusting the collar and sleeves to cover her chest and wrists. She gathered Weiss' luscious hair and positioned it over one of her shoulders, so she wouldn't roll on it or tug it in her sleep if she moved.

Weiss' eyelids had closed, but the little whimpers told Pyrrha she was still conscious, defiant to sleep until she'd done all she had to do for Pyrrha.

The crimson-haired girl made absolutely certain not to touch Weiss' sore side-

-until Weiss surprised her.

Her smaller hand managed to find one of Pyrrha's, and guided her to the exact spot over her ribcage. Pyrrha didn't want to pull away, but she was worried.

"Weiss? A-Are you sure? Doesn't it hurt?"

Slowly, Weiss blinked her eyes open again. Smiling, she shook her head.

"No. It hasn't hurt at all... since you've healed it. Even when the doctors tended to me. It never hurt."

Puzzled, Pyrrha allowed her hand to rest over Weiss' wound. She was still concerned. Had that part of Weiss' body been paralyzed by the bullet? Was it functioning properly?

"Weiss, are you sure? Can you... can you feel _anything?_ "

Weiss nodded calmly.

"Yes. But not pain. Only warmth. It's been... so warm, ever since you shared your aura with me. My entire chest has been so warm. My heart. Everything. It's never faded for a second. I feel... so safe. You're here with me, Pyrrha. And also here."

She lifted her free hand to lay it over her heart, and another tear trickled down her cheek.

Pyrrha felt she understood now. There was nothing to worry about anymore.

Relieved, she leaned over Weiss and gently pressed her lips to the spot above the wound. She shared just a tiny bit more of her aura with Weiss as she did so.

A tingle ran through herself, and through Weiss as well, something warm and pleasant that only they could share.

Weiss closed her eyes again, but her hand fumbled to grasp Pyrrha's.

"Pyrrha... I want to give you mine, too. Please."

Hesitantly, the taller girl checked Weiss' heart monitor.

"Weiss, it can wait. You need to regain your strength right now. You need to rest. I'll stay in this hospital until they release you, too. I won't leave until you do. I'll never leave your side again. So we can do it later, can't we?"

But she wasn't surprised when Weiss cracked her eyes open again and shook her head.

"Just a little. Please."

Pyrrha couldn't say no to her a second time.

"...All right. But _just_ a little. Please."

Carefully, she leaned down over Weiss, letting their stomachs and chests brush lightly, sharing a bit more warmth between them. Closing her eyes, Pyrrha pressed her lips to Weiss' with tender affection.

Weiss kissed her in return, as best she could, given her fatigue. She activated her aura and passed it through her lips to Pyrrha.

To Weiss, Pyrrha's aura was powerful and warm, like liquid rays of sunlight, keeping her safe.

To Pyrrha, Weiss' aura was small and cool, but not overwhelming. It was like a stream flowing through a forest – something that just fit naturally.

It was so perfect.

Pyrrha drank her in, feeling the flow of that stream follow the blood in her veins, until it was swirling around her heart. She let a bit more of her own aura transfer to Weiss, so they may experience this bliss together.

Their hearts beat as one for a long a moment.

At last, as much as she hated to, Pyrrha needed to pull away. She feared Weiss was straining herself a bit too much, and wanted her to get her strength back.

But she was still sure to gaze fondly down at her, with love shimmering in her eyes.

"Thank you, Weiss. Thank you _so_ much. You're so beautiful."

She wiped her own eyes, then brushed away Weiss' tears with her thumb. The singer smiled back up at her.

"I love you, Pyrrha."

"I love you, too, Weiss."

Pyrrha leaned in one last time to kiss her scarred cheek, coaxing Weiss to close her eyes. "Rest now. And don't worry about anything. Everything's fine now. I can assure you that. I'll stay here with you. I won't leave this building until you can as well. I promise."

At last, Weiss closed her eyes, and let out a long, long sigh.

Pyrrha dabbed away the last of the girl's tears, then pulled the blankets back up over her to keep her as warm as possible.

But even without blankets herself, Pyrrha could still feel that warmth in her heart, the warmth Weiss had given her. And she knew Weiss could feel hers, as well.

Pyrrha sat there a while longer, holding Weiss' hand, keeping a close eye on her chest and listening to her heart rate as it slowed.

When at last she was asleep, Pyrrha kissed the back of her hand one last time before standing and heading for the door.

She knew there would be a lot to deal with tomorrow. Weiss might be scared to perform again, but Pyrrha was determined to help her if she needed it. She'd do whatever she could.

At the very least, she knew now that she'd make sure to spend much more time with Weiss other than just a few date nights and performances a month.

The future was going to be pleasantly busy with plans of seeing Weiss as often as possible.

But for now, they just needed to rest, and focus on that warmth in their hearts.

* * *

 **A/N: There will be an epilogue as well!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	7. Epilogue - Side By Side

**Their story isn't over just yet! There's still something else they have to do!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Epilogue. Side By Side

Four days after the incident, Weiss was discharged from the hospital.

Pyrrha and Winter were both there with her to walk her out.

Pyrrha had found out that on the evening of the attack, it had been Winter herself who had apprehended the shooter, and despite the code of conduct she responsibly followed during the process, she certainly hadn't gone easy on him.

After a heated interrogation, the Faunus man had revealed that he was, in fact, a part of the White Fang, but had acted alone and without instruction from others. It was hardly reassuring, but at the very least it ensure the entirety of the terrorist group wasn't out to target Schnee and his children.

As Pyrrha had intended, she made specific arrangements that would allow her to hold her usual matches in all the available arenas of Remnant, but still make time to see Weiss. Or if Pyrrha couldn't come to her, Weiss would have herself flown to Pyrrha.

From then on, the two of them never went longer than a few days without seeing one another in person.

Weiss' father gave a public speech ensuring something like this would never happen at one of Weiss' concerts again, for he was implementing a stronger, more modern method of security, working together with Winter and the military. Winter herself ensured that all information they uncovered about these new methods would be shared with other public locations, such as schools and shopping malls, free of charge to citizens.

Their father also publicly thanked Pyrrha for her heroic actions and quick thinking in going to assist Weiss. She received much praise from everyone wherever she went for a while after that.

And while she humbly accepted the compliments, she was sure not to disclose any personal information regarding Weiss' condition at the time.

In a week, the heiress had made a full recovery, and only a bit of residual soreness remained.

As Pyrrha had anticipated, her girlfriend expressed hesitance when faced with the prospect of her next concert. It was on one of their weekend dates in Atlas' central park when Weiss admitted her feelings to Pyrrha.

"I know last time was just a fluke..." she mumbled. "That it will never happen again. Especially with all the new work Winter's doing to upgrade security and call for more guards... But I'm just... nervous..."

Pyrrha's heart went out to the girl sitting quietly on the bench beside her.

She couldn't even begin to comprehend Weiss' fears. They were very different from the fear Pyrrha herself had suffered through at the time. Her only concern was that she might see the person she loved most get hurt again, but Weiss had death itself to fear.

Pyrrha wrapped an arm around Weiss' shoulders and kissed her temple softly.

"Don't fret. I understand how frightening this must be for you. Actually... maybe I can't understand it. But I can imagine, at least." As memories of all the blood and pain started to flicker in her mind, she chased them off by hugging Weiss tighter, taking in her wintry scent.

"Weiss... I know something horrible happened to you. But I don't want that one incident to take away something you love. Whenever I see you on that stage singing and casting those beautiful glyphs, I can _see_ it in your eyes how much you love it. I don't want you to feel like you have to give it all up because you're scared of something like that happening again. Though, I completely understand if that's what you decide to do."

She kissed her hair again and sighed. "I don't want you to give up singing. But I also don't want you to keep having concerts if it's only going to cause you to live in fear. You should do whatever is best for you. I just... can't stand to see you get hurt anymore."

Weiss took every word to heart. She understood Pyrrha's fears as well as Pyrrha understood hers.

But her girlfriend was right. Weiss didn't want to give up singing – certainly not because of this fleeting incident.

Leaning more fully into Pyrrha's touch, she voiced her wishes softly.

"I'm scared... but I don't want to give up. Ever."

And somehow, though Pyrrha had considered all of the outcomes, somehow she'd _known_ all along that this would be Weiss' answer.

"I knew you wouldn't, Weiss. You're much too strong for giving up." Another kiss to her temple. "Don't worry. I'll stick with you no matter what. And I think I've got an idea that could help you get back onstage."

Weiss shifted a bit to lift her head so she may look up into emerald eyes.

"What's that?"

Pyrrha smiled.

"Hear me out..."

* * *

Her plan called for a lot of arrangements to be made.

But those were only of concern after they'd done something even _more_ difficult.

Pyrrha had spoken to her agent and the people she worked with for her matches, and her proposed idea was accepted by them immediately. It would be Weiss' success or failure in convincing her father that would decide the fate of Pyrrha's plans.

She went into her father's office alone the next day and proposed the idea to him, expecting rejection.

But to her surprise, he expressed great interest.

"I'd actually been considering something similar myself," he told her. "I'd been planning to wait a while longer for it, but it wouldn't be a problem to enact it sooner."

Weiss' face lit up at his acceptance, though she quickly hid her childish smile with a bow before scurrying out of his office. She quickly called Pyrrha to inform her of the good news.

From there, with the help of the people who often organized their matches and concerts, they started planning their first ever joint performance.

Given Weiss' required recovery time and the fact that Pyrrha had publicly announced that she would take a bit of time off in order to support her girlfriend, their debut together wouldn't be for a few more weeks.

Until then, both girls made appointments with one another to be flown to the other's location on certain days so they may train together. They each still focused on their own strengths in performing, but they found a way to put them together as well.

Pyrrha would continue fighting, sometimes trained warriors and actors, and other times unbridled Grimm. As she fought, Weiss would stand on an elevated platform and narrate in song.

She'd written several new pieces pertaining to a young female warrior, and the addition of projected music from a nearby source would play out. This way, the audience could listen to Weiss and watch Pyrrha.

They trained together for a little over a week, each girl perfecting her respective talents for this extravagant performance.

And when at last the day was upon them, they were eager to share their secrets with the world.

Naturally, combining two of the most popular performances by young prodigies in all of Remnant brought in a good deal of money, and a positively enormous crowd.

As Pyrrha and Weiss waited for their cue to enter the arena, they stood side by side and peeked out into the crowd. Pyrrha could see people dressed in shorts and t-shirts as they often did for her fights. And Weiss could see some people dressed more formally as well.

It was almost comical to see the two worlds clash in this way, but with the success this performance would bring, they were sure they'd be seeing it much more often in the future.

Weiss was determined to do well for her audience, but she couldn't stop her heart from fluttering nervously. She knew Winter and the rest of the military guards here had checked and rechecked every person who'd entered today. There was close to no risk of anyone with ill-intent being present here.

But she just couldn't help thinking about the last time she'd sang for the public...

Pyrrha noticed right away how Weiss began to fidget, her left hand clenching around Myrtenaster's hilt. Quietly, she reached down to find Weiss' other hand and squeezed it gently.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. We both will be. This is going to be amazing, Weiss."

She gave a small tug and coaxed Weiss to turn her face a bit for a kiss.

Pyrrha's warm, confident lips calmed Weiss' from their trembling, reminding her that she was safe. Weiss breathed softly into her and kissed back by means of gratitude.

"Thank you, Pyrrha. Let's show them a performance they'll never forget."

Pyrrha gave another squeeze to her hand.

"Right!"

A voice on the loudspeakers called for attention to quiet the audience, then went on to say how special this first-time joint performance would be. The announcer recounted Weiss' courageous and stunning recovery, and then invited her out.

As the applause erupted for her, the lights were dimmed all around the arena. Weiss kissed Pyrrha one last time before stepping out.

She walked slowly onto the waiting platform, and once she was at the center, it lifted. Sophisticated technology drowned out the surrounding sounds of the audience and amplified the music being played.

The platform came to a halt about twenty feet off the ground, high enough so all persons in the audience could see her clearly.

With a wave of her rapier, Weiss cast dozens of massive silver glyphs high above them all, and then began to rotate them. A melancholy air began drifting around the place as she started to sing, her voice as lovely and unhindered as ever.

She sang an introduction of sorts, a song to a story about a young girl who needed to fight her way through life.

About halfway through her song, Pyrrha emerged into the arena below.

First, she fought off many trained men and women, warriors twice her size and age, sometimes groups of people all at once. Of course, they were all actors, but the combat certainly came across as real, especially when Weiss' voice had captivated the audience and drawn them into the magical story of it all.

Sometimes, Weiss would sing more lively pieces to increase the energy, and Pyrrha's techniques would quicken accordingly. During slower songs, Pyrrha would move more gracefully, more like in a dance than a battle. Pyrrha would finish her fights exactly as Weiss' songs stopped, so they would enjoy a brief break of applause before continuing to the next part.

About midway through, Weiss sang a solo as Pyrrha rested backstage. She used Myrtenaster to cast ice high into the air, then shatter it into snowflakes.

From then on in the performance, Weiss assisted Pyrrha in battle as she sang. She cast glyphs for her to use, some that would propel her forward at incredible speeds, some that would allow her to climb high into the air, some that allowed her to spin and twirl beautifully.

Not only did this demonstrate Pyrrha's physical skills, but Weiss' mental ones; she could concentrate enough to cast and control glyphs while still managing to maintain a perfect singing voice.

She would cast different elements in accordance to the part of the story they were on, sometimes snow, sometimes ash, sometimes lightly burning embers. Weiss provided the scene and story using her elements and her voice, and Pyrrha provided the visuals of the character.

And it was all so naturally done, as though they'd been doing this together for decades.

It allowed Pyrrha to be a part of something less rigorous than just a battle; it allowed her to demonstrate her more elegant dance-like skills as well.

And for Weiss, she could finally be a part of a match and show off the fighting skills she'd trained so hard with, but had never really gotten to utilize.

It was the perfect combination for them both, each complimenting the other while still allowing each girl to show off her own fullest potential.

For the final piece, the Grimm were released into the arena. Weiss continued her songs from above, the music picking up pace along with her voice and the action below.

Pyrrha swung her javelin and shield with power and grace while still managing to make it look like a dance. Weiss continued casting glyphs, both to make the scene look visually appealing, and to help Pyrrha with her attacks.

It was an experience for every sense: the whirl of colors and motion, the sounds of clashing metal and beautiful music, the scent of snow mixed with flame, the taste of powder, and the overall sense of being a part of the story.

At last, Pyrrha slew the final Beowulf, just as Weiss finished her final note.

The music remained a second longer, then all went silent.

Both girls were panting by now, unable to believe they'd truly completed their first ever joint performance.

And their success was soon made known to them.

The crowds went absolutely wild. People were jumping out of their seats and shouting in awe, some were crying, and some didn't know what to do with themselves now that it was over.

It was an incredible achievement.

People began throwing things down into the arena, ranging from flowers to popcorn to money to whatever else they had on-hand. Cameras that had recorded the entire thing were itching to share it on the local stations. The crowds surged with emotion and gave the girls a reaction beyond their wildest dreams.

It was simply amazing.

Weiss could feel her platform lowering steadily, and a breathless voice called up to her.

"Weiss!"

Pyrrha beamed at her, dropping her shield and weapon to open her arms wide in invitation.

Weiss smiled back. She laid her rapier down on the platform to collect later, and when it had been lowered about halfway, she jumped.

Pyrrha laughed as she caught her, twirling Weiss around several times in her arms. The singer hugged her shoulders as she caught her breath, realizing the audience was cheering even more loudly now.

Pyrrha couldn't stop smiling as she peppered kisses all over Weiss' face.

"Weiss! That was amazing! You were incredible! That was such a grand performance!"

Weiss returned as many of the kisses as she could.

"You were incredible as well, Pyrrha! They loved it! They absolutely loved it!"

"They did!" the champion agreed. "But you know..." She gently set Weiss down to stand on her own, though their arms were still wrapped tightly around one another. "I love _you_ even more."

Pyrrha blushed as she confessed as much, and Weiss felt heat bubble up in her own cheeks as well.

"I love you, too, Pyrrha."

They finished their performance with a kiss, one for all the world to see and support.

The two girls who had gone through so much together.

Who had gone through so much to _be_ together.

The girls who had dated in secret, spent hours at night texting and calling.

The girls who had made their affections known to the world.

The girls who had worried and cried for one another.

The girls who had laughed and smiled for one another.

The girls whose story had shaken Remnant to its core.

The most famous, talented, and charming couple of their time.

The champion and the singer.

* * *

 **A/N: This concludes their story from me! But you know this is only the beginning! You can easily imagine the rest of their story for yourselves! Thanks so much for reading!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


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